


Closing the Distance Between Us

by punkrock, ZillyVrilly



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (The BOM is a gang), Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Anal Sex, Background hance....v good hance, Blowjobs, Bottom Shiro, Endgame Shallureith, Explicit Sexual Content, Gangs, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Keith gets hurt at some point it's great, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Recreational Drug Use, Some good Holt Siblingry, There's a bunch of smut, background thulaz
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 03:21:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12521820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkrock/pseuds/punkrock, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZillyVrilly/pseuds/ZillyVrilly
Summary: After Shiro's bike accident, and his extended disappearance from the tattoo parlor, Keith found himself missing the familiar face. As one of the shop's most frequent customers, Keith continued to come back despite the fact that his favorite artist had gone missing. A few months later, he's back with a prosthetic arm, a scar across his face, and tuft of stark white hair. After Shiro finally asks Keith out on a few dates, Keith has to seriously reconsider his way of life.





	1. Chapter 1

Shiro sat down at his station in Altea Tattoo’s for the first time in months, and he got to work reorganizing the tiny bottles of ink. He loved Allura with all his heart, but she had rearranged everything in his workspace in the time he'd been gone. A shiny balloon that read “Welcome Back” was tied to the arm of his rolling chair. He hummed to himself as he got reacquainted with his workspace, glad to be out of the house again. Shiro wasn't one to sit still, and being cooped up in his house for an extended period of time made him stir-crazy.

 The bell attached to the front door jingled as a customer stepped inside. It was Keith, a regular that had come back to Altea Tattoos at least three times after Shiro took time off to recover. He didn’t bother to ask what happened to him, since it probably wasn’t any of his business. As he walked into the parlor past the empty reception desk, his eyes lit up when he noticed that Shiro was back. There was something off about him, though-- he was missing an arm. After clearing his throat, he approached Shiro at his chair. 

“It’s good to have you back.”

Shiro spun around in his chair, and his whole face lit up when he saw his favorite customer.

“Keith! Great to see you. It's good to be back.” He stood up to pull Keith into a one-armed hug. Keith awkwardly returned the hug, then stood back to finally drink the tattoo artist’s appearance.

Shiro had a deep scar across his nose that wasn't there a few months ago. His right arm was gone, replaced by a prosthetic that went up to his mid-bicep. His bangs were bleached white, longer than they used to be and hanging in his face.

 As Keith took it all in, he noticed that this was more than a midlife crisis identity change-- he wasn’t even old enough for that. He crossed his arms and gave Shiro a small smile.

 “Wow… Where’ve you been? It was strange coming in and not seeing you for a while.”

 Shiro looked down at his prosthetic arm. “Things got out of hand.” He gave Keith a shit-eating grin at his own joke. “I was in a car accident. Well, the other people were in cars. I was on my bike… and I lost.”

 Keith stopped and covered his mouth as he snorted. He always appreciated Shiro’s darker sense of humor.

“I- yeah, I can tell that you definitely lost. Looks like you put up a fight, though. But, what about the new patch of white?”  


“I dunno, so much about my look changed, I decided to make some of my own changes too. Might as well go all the way- change my name, dye my hair, you know?”

 “Looks good on you...” Keith said after he cleared his throat again. He felt awkward.

 Shiro forced a lopsided grin, then  looked away to mess with his equipment. “Anyway, you didn't come in here just to talk to me, did you?”

 “Ah, yeah, I came in to add to my sleeve again. I’m kinda going on a steady pace here, y’know? Can’t stop just yet while my ideas are fresh.”

 Shiro patted the tattoo chair before he looked around in the cabinets for his sketchbook and a pen.

“What are you thinking? If it's simple I can probably do it. I've been practicing a lot, but… I was right handed, and the prosthetic isn't that good at small movements.”

 Keith took a seat, crossed his leg over his knee and started explaining.

“I don’t think there’s any way you could fuck this up, then. It’s just a broken dagger with some of the broken shards between the two separate pieces.”

 “‘Simple’ my ass, that sounds like a lot of little shapes,” Shiro grumbled, but was also smiling. He picked up a pen and started sketching a rough triangular shape for the blade and started playing around with different hilt designs. Shiro then moved his chair to Keith’s other side and set his book down on his lap so he could touch an empty space Keith’s bicep. “I'm thinking… here?” Shiro moved his fingers apart a few inches. “And about this big?”

 Keith took note of where Shiro was pointing and nodded. His eyes then glanced over at his drawing, and his lips twisted.

“Yeah, that sounds about right. I’m thinking this session should just be lineart, though.”

 “Okay, if it's just the outline, I'm thinking it'll take me about thirty minutes to finish it. Do you think $50 is a fair price?”

 Keith agreed, and Shiro continued drawing. Keith kept glancing at Shiro’s sketchbook and frowning, but didn’t say anything yet. Shiro soon noticed Keith’s sour expression.

“Something wrong?” Shiro asked, raising an eyebrow. He shoved the pen behind his ear and handed the drawing to Keith.

 “Yeah, uh, can I see the pen real quick?” He asked as he took the sketchbook from Shiro. It was… close, but not exactly what he envisioned. Keith always felt a little bad when he asked to fix drawings, it almost felt rude.

 Shiro grinned as he handed the black pen to Keith. He didn't mind when clients tweaked his designs; the goal was to make them happy, after all. He wished Keith wasn't so shy about saying exactly what he wanted in the first place, though.

 Keith mumbled a ‘thanks’ before sketching what he initially thought of. It took him a while, but it was finally what he envisioned. He knew Shiro would make it look better, since his own skills weren’t the best.

 “There.. You were pretty close, but I just had to make sure.” Keith said as he handed the pen and sketchbook back to Shiro with a small smile. Shiro smiled back and started tracing Keith’s design onto a fresh sheet of paper. He showed the design to him one more time.

 “If you're happy with that, we can get started,” Shiro said. Keith smiled and nodded.

 “Yep, that’s perfect,” Keith said as he shifted in the chair. He pulled his phone out to see if he had anything to respond to, then slid it back in his pocket. “Let’s do this.”

 Shiro went over to the sink at his station to wash his hands, which was already a task within itself. He got out two gloves and fumbled with them.

“Dammit,” he hissed under his breath.

 Keith watched as Shiro struggled with the gloves. If Shiro messed the this up, he’s going to hate himself, he wouldn’t even blame Shiro.

“You okay over there?”

“Yeah, lemme just…” Shiro poked his head into the hallway and called for Allura. At that, she came running from the break room in the back.

 “Shiro? What's wrong?” Allura asked. Shiro held the gloves out with his prosthetic.

 “Could you give me a hand with these?”

 Allura rolled her eyes at the pun and walked over to help Shiro put on his gloves. She smiled at Keith over Shiro’s shoulder.

“Oh, hello, Keith! Nice to see you.”

 Keith smiled at Allura and gave her a small wave.

“Hey, Allura.” He kept his eyes on the two, almost laughing at how much Shiro was struggling. He felt bad about it, but Shiro seemed to be keeping a light tone about his situation, anyway.

 Allura picked up Shiro’s sketchbook and sat down in his chair, and Shiro rolled his eyes. She crossed her legs and flipped the page to look at the sketches.

 “This is nice! Did you draw that, Keith?” Her manicured fingernail tapped the drawing Keith did. Keith nodded at Allura. He always liked her and even had her do a few of his tattoos while Shiro was gone. Her work was amazing, but he still prefered his usual artist.

 “Yeah, it’s not as good as what you guys draw, but it’s something, y’know?”

 Allura laughed and winked at Keith.

“I mean it, this is really clean! I think you would make a good artist.”

 “Pft, no way in hell would I be a good artist. I’m pretty good at what I do now.”  Keith said as he attempted to hold still while Shiro started to shave the area on his arm in preparation for the tattoo. It was hard not to move since he was laughing a bit, but he managed.

“Allura, stop flirting with my client,” Shiro said, his tone teasing.

 Allura blushed and crossed her arms. “Am not!”

  
Hunk looked over his shoulder, overhearing the banter from across the parlor.

“You were totally flirting, Allura. I can hear you from all the way over here.”

 Allura looked scandalized.

“Whose side are you on, Hunk? Remember who signs your paychecks.”

 Hunk stopped for a moment, did the ‘zipping lips’ motion, then turned back to drawing in his sketchbook. He had been silenced. Shiro had to stop working because he was laughing too hard.

“Could you make yourself useful and glove me again?”

“You're going to need me to get the needles ready, aren't you?” Allura asked as she moved to help Shiro. The question was serious; the teasing stopped as she tried to figure out what Shiro needed.

 “Yep, that would be great.” Shiro busied himself with making the stencil while Allura got the tattoo machine ready.

 Keith looked between Allura and Shiro, then raised a brow.

“I didn’t know getting a simple tattoo was going to take a whole army.” He said with a chuckle.

 “It does now,” Shiro sighed. He carefully placed the stencil in the correct spot on Keith’s bicep. When he peeled the paper away, a bluish outline of the tattoo was left behind. He applied Vaseline to the outline, and Allura helped him change gloves one more time.

 “Let me know if you need anything else!” Allura said cheerfully before she ducked out of the room. She left the curtain dividing Shiro’s station from the rest of the parlor half-open.

 Keith looked over at Shiro with a half smile, then down at his arm. He always watched when his tattoos were being done. It was pretty fascinating to him, really. Keith couldn’t help but to be a little nervous, but he had faith in Shiro. After moving the machine into place beside Keith, Shiro hovered the tattoo needle over his skin.

“Deep breaths. I can tell you’re tense.” Shiro said.

  
“I’m not tense.” Keith knew Shiro could see right through him. The younger man squeezed his hand into a fist, then slowly let it go. He took a deep breath as he was told and closed his eyes. “....Okay, I’m fine.”

 Shiro smiled as he watched Keith melt into the chair. Keith had gotten used to being under the needle at this point, but the beginning of the process always shot adrenaline through his body.

 “Let me know if you need a break, okay?” He said as he turned the machine on and started to trace the outline on Keith’s skin in permanent ink. Keith looked away from his arm for a second, then looked back. He could tell that Shiro seemed to be pretty focused, especially since he was using his non-dominant hand. It was more difficult to do this with his non-dominant hand, but his left was just as steady. The background noise was the faint music coming from Hunk’s station, barely audible over the buzzing of the machine.  

  
“You must be some kind of tattoo wizard, using your left hand and all.” Keith immediately regretted that comment.

 “This is all I'm good at. Besides, I really needed to go back to work.” Shiro didn't elaborate as to why. He was too professional to complain about his massive medical bills to a customer.

 Keith stared intently at the needle going across his skin.

“I understand that, sort of. You gotta move on and make a living and stuff, I mean.” His life was always all over the place, if he were being honest. He wasn’t going to ask Shiro any details, but it was conversation, and admittedly better than being silent. He was used to Shiro talking to him during their tattoo sessions.

 “Yeah, I couldn't stand being cooped up in my house anymore. If I don't stay busy, I get really restless.” Shiro thought that Keith might be able to relate to that. If the way Keith was bouncing his leg was anything to go on, he also had trouble sitting still.

 “I’m the same way. I’m almost never in my apartment.” Keith laughed at that. He sucked at actually being in his house to the point that he’d been staying at his dad’s for the past two days. “One day, I did nothing the whole time and actually felt myself going crazy.”

 “I was rarely home before the accident. Then I was gone for weeks, and I missed my shitty apartment so much… Until I was stuck there, and it got really old, really fast.”

 “Being home is boring unless you have something to do there. I just.. Eat..sleep..and..yeah. That’s pretty much it.”

 Shiro became absorbed in his work again and stopped talking.

“What do you do for a living?” Shiro asked eventually to fill the silence.

 Keith’s relaxed expression quickly turned into panic at the question. Thankfully, for once, he thought quickly.

“I..I’m an entrepreneur. I sell stuff.”

 Shiro raised an eyebrow, but didn't call Keith out on his vague answer. He couldn't imagine Keith being a salesperson, but if he claimed he was good at his job, Shiro believed him.

 Keith blinked at Shiro, then laughed nervously.

“What’s that look for?” He knew his response to the artist’s innocent question was vague, but it was sketchy to just outright say that he was a drug dealer.

“Nothing, you're just so mysterious,” Shiro teased. “Sorry for being nosy.”

 “I heard that at least ten times a day in high school.” Keith said as he rolled his eyes. “I mean, I don’t mind you being nosy.”

 “You've been in here so many times, but I feel like I barely know you.” Shiro swallowed hard, thinking that maybe he was pushing things too far with Keith. He silently berated himself for being unprofessional and pretended to be absorbed with what his hands were doing.

 “I can kinda say the same about you, though. I just know what you do, and that you got into an accident.” Keith looked at him, but he was busy focusing on his arm… which was for the best. “And your name, but that’s pretty obvious.”

 Shiro glanced up at Keith.

 “Maybe we should get to know each other a little better,” Shiro said softly. He quickly averted his eyes, his cheeks turning pink. He had made fun of Allura for flirting with the customer earlier, but here he was asking Keith out. Shiro hoped the attraction wasn't one-sided, but he thought that it might be mutual, with the way that Keith came in so often and always requested Shiro.

 Keith opened his mouth to respond, but averted his gaze as his cheeks started to flush.

“Yeah? I’m okay with that.” He could feel his stomach doing flips. Keith never in a million years thought that Shiro would actually ask him out, but he stood corrected.

“I get off work at ten,” Shiro said. He switched off the machine and started to clean and bandage the fresh tattoo.

 “I hope I’m not high off my ass by then. That’s prime smoking hours.” Keith joked. He hoped that Shiro would understand that he was being completely sarcastic, though. If not, he’d probably die on the inside.

 Shiro’s mouth fell open, he wasn't expecting that answer out of Keith. He distracted himself with pulling the left glove off with his teeth. He would have to get someone to help him clean up the rest of his station.

“Well, if that's a bad time tonight, we could just exchange numbers?” Shiro laughed nervously and ran his hand through his hair.

 Keith looked at Shiro with a straight face before snorting.

“I was kidding, Shiro. I’m free tonight-- but I think we should exchange numbers anyway.” He said as he looked down at his new tattoo, then back to Shiro.

“Good! Oh, yeah, you're right,” Shiro said, searching his pockets for his phone. He unlocked it and handed it to Keith with a new contact page open.

 Keith pulled his phone out and opened a new contact page as well. He took Shiro’s phone, then handed him his own. After typing out his information, he pressed the contact photo space and took a picture of himself pushing his nose back and sticking his tongue out (which was definitely the most unflattering picture he’s taken in his life).

“There. Your phone’s been tainted with my information.” 

Shiro covered his mouth to stifle his laughter at the picture Keith took.

“Yeah, it’s definitely tainted.”

 After pocketing his phone, Shiro turned around to grab one of the tattoo aftercare pamphlets they were required to give everyone.

“I'm supposed to say all this crap too, but… I assume you know how to take care of your new ink?”

 “No, you gotta remind the guy with a full sleeve and like… ten other tattoos how to take care of his new ink.” Keith said with a sarcastic tone. He sat up a little and took the pamphlet from Shiro. “I could probably fill a whole bookcase with these at this point.”

 Shiro rolled his eyes at Keith’s sass. He scribbled some numbers down on a receipt and handed that to Keith too.

“I'll walk up front with you, I need to bug Allura anyway.”

 Keith glanced over the receipt then stood up.

“Don’t you always bug Allura?” He asked with a smirk.

 “Sometimes _she_ bugs _me_ ,” Shiro said defensively. He pushed open the curtain for Keith.

 Keith walked through the opening and looked back at Shiro.

“How? She’s pretty nice. She did my tattoo the last time I came in.”

“I dunno, we’ve known each other a long time. The new ink looks good, by the way,” Shiro replied. He walked with Keith to the reception desk.

 “Thanks, they’re probably some of my favorites so far.” Keith said with a small smile.

 Allura was leaning back in the rolling chair with her phone pressed to her ear, and she sat up straight when she saw people come in.

“Okay, I'll see you later, Coran. Love you!” She ended the call abruptly and logged back into the computer.

 “So, how did it go?” Allura asked Keith, slipping back into her retail voice. Shiro leaned against the counter and fidgeted with the pen attached to it by a chain.

 “It went well. I was honestly surprised that Shiro’s good with his left hand, now.” Keith leaned against the counter and placed the receipt on the surface in front of him. He glanced over at Shiro, then back to Allura.

Allura smiled sadly at the comment and made eye contact with Shiro.

“We’re just glad to have him back.”

 Shiro’s face turned red and he looked away from the two of them.

“Oh, stop.”

 “I’m glad he’s back, too. It was different without him here.” Keith nudged Shiro’s arm playfully.

 Shiro smiled at Keith, his chest feeling tight. It felt good to be missed.

 Allura took the receipt off the counter and rang Keith up. She had almost forgotten that he was a customer and not a friend. Keith pulled his wallet out and paid in cash. He then turned to Shiro and gave him a twenty for a tip.

“Thanks, Shiro. You got a plan for tonight, yet?” Keith asked as he raised a brow.

Shiro pocketed the money with a smile.

“Uhh, we could meet at Gunther’s at 10:30?” Shiro pulled the plan out of his ass, but he hoped Keith wouldn't mind the little dive bar he used to frequent when he was in college. Allura watched the two interact with her chin on her hands.

 “That sounds good.” Keith smiled as he slid his hands in his pockets. “I promise I won’t be high off my ass.” He felt the need to reiterate that since Shiro took his last comment literally. The joke was a poor move on his part.

 Allura snorted and Shiro choked on a laugh.

“I'm, uh, looking forward to it,” Shiro stammered. “See you then?”

 Keith turned to Allura and blinked in confusion before flashing Shiro a small smile.

“Yeah, I’ll see you then.” He backed up a bit, then started to walk away as he looked to Shiro over his shoulder to catch his shy wave.

 Allura was giving Shiro a shit-eating grin as he leaned against the counter with a pout. She caught Keith’s eye and gave him a dazzling smile.

“Do come again!” She said in a sing-song voice.

Once the parlor was cleared, Hunk decided to walk up to the counter with Shiro and Allura.

“Did I overhear some plans being made?” He asked with a raised brow.

 “‘Allura, stop flirting with my client,’ he said, and then he goes and asks the same client out!” Allura did a perfect impression of Shiro’s voice, which made him start giggling. She stood up to reach over the counter and smack Shiro’s arm playfully.

 “I didn't say _why_ I wanted you to stop flirting with him,” Shiro countered, dancing out of the way of Allura’s swipes at him.

 “You're terrible!” Allura huffed.

 Hunk crossed his arms and laughed at the two.

“Am I the only one who saw this coming? I’m surprised Shiro didn’t ask him out a while ago.”

 Shiro rubbed the back of his neck and looked down.

“What about _your_ cute regular, Hunk?”

 “Don't try to change the subject!” Allura protested. She turned to Hunk. “But how is Lance?”

 “Well, I mean…” Hunk started as he rubbed his arm. “We’ve been uh… ‘something’ for about a month, now.” He hoped his vague answer was enough to hold the two over. “That’s not the point, we’re talking about Keith, now.”

 Allura giggled and raised her eyebrows at Hunk’s answer. She'd have to get more details out of him later.

 Shiro rolled his eyes.

“There's nothing to tell! We’re just going for a couple drinks tonight, and I got his number…”

 “Don’t take a drunk guy home.” Hunk leaned on the counter. “Although I’m pretty sure you knew that. You’re a pretty smart guy, Shiro.”

“Yeah, I know. I'm probably not going to drink that much, I haven't been able to in a while because of all those meds I was on…” Shiro looked down at his prosthetic. “Can one of you lovely people help me with my station?”

 “I can help. I have a few minutes before Lance is supposed to come in.” Hunk smiled, pushed himself off of the counter, then rolled his sleeves up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a beast.... get ready for some good Sheith lovin <3

Later that night, Allura was driving while Shiro was grinding his teeth in the passenger seat. She reached over and squeezed his hand when they were stopped at a light.

“Breathe, it's okay,” Allura murmured.

“Sorry, this is… this is close to where it happened.” Shiro’s gaze was unfocused, his hand was damp with sweat.

“Need me to pull over?” Allura asked. Shiro shook his head, but when the light changed he gripped her hand tighter.

Shiro was still tense when Allura pulled into the parking lot of Gunther’s, but now it's wasn't just his PTSD acting up.

“Thanks for the ride,” Shiro said.

“No problem. Call me when you need me to pick you up, okay? I don't care what time it is.”

“You don't have to do that,” Shiro sighed. Allura did so much for him already. “I'll just Uber home.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I can do this.”

Allura smiled at Shiro and patted his arm. “I'm happy for you. Have fun on your date!”

Shiro looked back at Allura as he climbed out of the car.

“Hey, Allura? You're not jealous, right?” He was worried that he had offended Allura when he teased her about Keith earlier.

Allura shook her head.

“Of course not!” She made a shooing motion. “You’re already late, don't keep him waiting!”

Shiro laughed, it felt like a weight lifted off his chest when Allura affirmed that this was okay. He headed into the crowded bar and looked around for Keith.

* * *

  


Keith was running about fifteen minutes late. He hated himself for it. He’d gotten himself caught up at a friend’s place and refused to leave until he knew it was okay. After getting in his car and driving at a speed that wasn't legal, Keith made it to the bar. He probably should have forewarned Shiro that he was going to be late, but that never crossed his mind.  

Once he parked and locked his car, he practically ran into the bar as he looked around for Shiro. He spotted the white tuft of hair and smiled as he approached him.

“Hey… Sorry for being late.”

Shiro turned around in his barstool and beamed at Keith.

“Hey! You're fine; I just got here.” There were empty seats on either side of Shiro, and the bartender was busy with a rowdy group on the opposite end of the bar. “Haven't even ordered yet.”

Keith took a seat to the right of Shiro and leaned against the bar.

“Good, I didn’t want you to think I was gonna stand you up or something.” He smiled, then rested his chin on his hand. Shiro had butterflies in his stomach. It had been a long time since he went out on a date. He flagged the bartender down and ordered one of the cheap beers they had on draft.

Keith ordered the same beer then sat up a bit straighter.

“So, did Allura get on your case even more after I left?” If he were being honest, Keith was bad at small talk. He barely went on dates, so the whole concept was still a bit fresh to him.

Shiro laughed at the conversation starter.

“Of course! Hunk did too.” Shiro started blushing just thinking about the way Hunk roasted him while they were cleaning up his station.

“I’m not surprised.” Keith said with a laugh. He took a small sip of his beer then sat it down. “They all talked about you while you were gone. It wasn’t bad or anything, just a lot of teasing.”

Shiro took a sip of his drink and tried not to grimace. He hated the taste of beer, but he was broke and this was the cheapest thing on the menu.

“I'm surprised Allura didn't tell me that she did some of your sleeve. I guess she didn't want me to feel bad about missing out on working with you,” he said with a shrug.

Keith sighed, then took a longer sip of his beer.

“Probably not. I told her how excited you were to do it and then… yeah.” He paused. “I guess we shouldn’t be talking about work so much since I know what you do and everything… “ God save him. He felt awkward and even more nervous, now.

“Yeah, I guess so. What do you do for fun?” Shiro figured that hobbies would be a safe topic, since Keith was unwilling to talk about his career earlier.

“Uhh, let’s see. I hunt cryptids…” That was partially serious, “collect knives, over analyze conspiracy theories..” Keith trailed off then shrugged. “What do you do?”

Shiro laughed at the “hunting cryptids” bit.

“I like reading manga, watching old sci-fi movies, playing video games, and going to the planetarium.”

“... You sound exactly like my friend from high school.” He’s convinced that Shiro and his friend Matt are the same person, now. There’s no way. “The planetarium, though? That’s kinda cool.”

“Yeah, I'm a nerd about space,” Shiro said, feeling self-conscious.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m obsessed with mothman.” Keith said casually. He’s way too open about that.

“Wait, so you grew up here?” Shiro asked.

“Yeah, I grew up here. Did you?”

“Nope, I'm from Japan. I came to the States for college, stuck around for work afterwards…” Shiro traced patterns into the condensation on his glass.

“Oh, huh. That’s cool.” Keith fell silent for a second. “I’m part Korean. Never been to North or South, but I guess it’s nice to know some of my heritage.” He didn’t mean for that to get kind of sad, but there was no take backs, now.

“Oh, nice! I've been to Seoul, we spent a couple weeks there on vacation once.” Shiro downed the rest of his drink and another beer was placed in front of him. He was starting to feel lightheaded, he was drinking on an empty stomach and it's been months since he had alcohol.

Keith was barely through his first beer. He wasn’t much for social drinking- he very much prefered doing it in the comfort of his own home… or someone else’s home.

“That’s nice. I’ve been trying to learn Korean for about a year, now.” Keith then glanced over at Shiro. “It’s been a while for you, right?”

Shiro’s face was turning pink as Keith stared at him.

“A while for what?” Shiro asked. Shiro had always been a bit of a lightweight.

“Since you drank.” Keith said with a small laugh. Shiro’s face was kind of cute like that. “I can tell.”

“Oh! Yeah,” Shiro said, looking down at his glass. Maybe he should slow down. Hunk said not to take drunk guys home, but what if he was the drunk guy?

After taking another sip of his beer, Keith was almost finished with his first glass.

“You should probably slow down, then. I can already see it in your face.” He reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, then offered a small smile.

Shiro blushed and ordered a water. He didn't want to make a fool of himself on the first date. God, this was embarrassing.

“I never took you as a lightweight.” Keith teased. His hand was still on his shoulder for another moment before he pulled away. “There’s nothing wrong with that, though. Not like you can help it.” 

“Yeah, Allura always made fun of me for it in college,” Shiro laughed. He squeezed the lemon slice into his water and took a sip.

“Oh, you guys went to school together?” No wonder they seemed so close, it all made sense to him, now. “What’d you study?” Keith was actually interested since he never went to college.

“Illustration. I started out in graphic design, but that was more to get my parents off my back than anything else. I've always preferred traditional art.”

“I feel like that answer should’ve been obvious to me…” Keith laughed a bit. “But I’ve always wondered what your non tattoo art looked like. You think you could show me some, sometime?”

Shiro took out his phone and went to one of his albums entitled “Portfolio Shit”. He handed the phone to Keith, looking over his shoulder as he scrolled through the pictures. There were a lot of watercolor paintings and oil pastel pieces, all of which had vibrant colors. Space was a common theme in many of his pieces, the nebulas he painted looked like NASA photos.

Keith scrolled through the pictures, staring longer at a few that he liked the most. Shiro was talented as hell. It kind of made Keith wish he was good at something like that. He stopped at one of the water color galaxy paintings and pointed at it.

“I think I like this one the best. I’ve always liked water color stuff.”

“Yeah, it’s probably my favorite medium too. I do watercolor tattoos, you know,” Shiro said with a wink.

“Oh come on, don’t tempt me, Shiro.” Keith said as he nudged him a bit. He gave Shiro his phone back, then tapped his fingers on the bar counter. “You’re feeding into my tattoo obsession.”

“It's literally my job,” Shiro teased. He slipped the phone into his back pocket and leaned his chin on his hand.

“Okay, well, stop being good at your job.” Keith finished off his beer, but refused another.  “A watercolor tattoo would be cool, though. Right on my chest. Don’t know of what, but now you’ve got me thinking about it.”

Shiro’s face lit up and he looked at Keith’s sculpted chest covered up by his tee shirt.

“I'll let you know if I come up with any ideas.” He switched back to his beer and took larger sips, he didn't want to keep Keith waiting if he wanted to head out.

Keith hated being in bars, but it was manageable with Shiro there, so he didn’t mind it too much. He noticed that Shiro was taking longer and larger sips.

“You ready to get out of here?”  


“Sure. Want me to call an Uber, or…?” Shiro finished off his drink and stretched as he stood up. Shiro probably wasn't okay to drive, and he didn't have a car anyway.

Keith shook his head as he reached into his pocket for his keys.

“I only had one beer, I’m fine to drive if you trust me.” He knew how he was after one drink, so he could handle himself. If Shiro wasn’t comfortable, he wouldn’t be offended.

“You sure you're okay?” Shiro asked as they paid their separate bills in cash. He held the door open for Keith and walked outside after him.

“I’m completely fine.” He gave him a smile, then pressed the unlock button on the car remote. “You just gotta direct me to your place.”

The interior of Keith’s bright red sports car was littered with empty fast food containers, and the cup holder held a mug filled with cigarette butts.

“I’m sorry about.. The smell. And stuff.” Keith pulled the cover off of the air freshener and tossed it into the backseat.

Shiro climbed into the passenger seat and resisted the urge to make a face at the mixture of fruity air freshener, weed, and cigarette smoke that assaulted his nose. He gave Keith directions, but the longer he was in the car the more he tensed up. Shiro kept glancing in the rearview mirror and he was gripping the armrest.

As he drove, Keith noticed that Shiro looked tense. He reached over to pat Shiro’s hand, then pulled away. He felt kind of awkward about that, but it was meant to be reassuring.

“We’re almost there.”

 

* * *

  


Shiro smiled at Keith and thanked him quietly. When they got to Shiro’s run-down apartment complex, Shiro thanked him for the ride again.

“Do you… want to come upstairs?” Shiro blamed his boldness on the liquid courage, but Keith was really cute and he wouldn't mind hanging out with him a while longer.

Keith put his car in park, then shrugged as he gave Shiro a more sincere smile.

“Yeah, why not?” He turned the engine off, got out, then waited for Shiro. Keith was excited to see Shiro’s apartment. He expected something artsy, but not too fancy.

Keith’s guess was accurate. Shiro’s apartment was an open floor plan studio, all one room except for the small bathroom. The most striking feature of his place was a mural of a nebula painted on the ceiling. The mural was new, sparkled with meticulously painted stars that glowed in the dark. Shiro flipped on the light switch and revealed the mural’s vibrant colors, and the paintings that lined the walls.

Once Keith entered Shiro’s apartment, his eyes lit up. The mural on the ceiling caught his eye, first and foremost. He walked around a bit, admiring the different pieces before turning to Shiro. “Holy shit?"

“What?” Shiro asked, grinning at Keith. The first thing Shiro did when he got inside was take off his shoes. The next thing he wanted off was his prosthetic, and he winced as he removed it. His arm had swelled up during the long day of wearing it, and he struggled for a minute before he took it off and set it on the dresser. He let out a relieved sigh and rolled his shoulders.

He walked toward Shiro, then realized that he had removed his prosthetic.

“All of these paintings… they’re honestly amazing up close and in person.” Keith rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve got a pretty badass talent.” His eyes then glanced down to Shiro’s missing arm, but didn’t comment.

Shiro thanked Keith for the compliments, beaming with pride. Shiro sat down on his bed and pulled a compression sleeve on over his stump. It was awkward to do this with one hand.

“Can I offer you anything to drink?”

Keith sat down next to Shiro, then frowned as he saw him struggle. He almost reached out to help, but he seemed to have it down.

“No, I think I’m good.” Keith stayed silent for a moment. “So uh…”

“Hmm?” Shiro asked, leaning back against the wall. His bed was so small that his legs were hanging off the bed.

“I dunno. I’ve actually never really ‘gone out’ with a person before, I guess? So this is different.” Keith was thinking out loud at this point.

“It's been a while for me,” Shiro said. He looked over at Keith. “So… you've never been with anyone before?”

Keith blinked at him.

“Like, been with as in dated someone or fucked someone, because I have an answer for both.”

Shiro raised his eyebrows.

“I mean, you just said that you've never really gone out with anyone, so… That answers the dating part, right?”

“Fuck, you're right.” Keith laughed nervously. “So yeah, I've never dated anyone, but I'm not a virgin.” He shrugged it off. It's not like he was ashamed.

“Same here, pretty much.” Shiro looked Keith up and down. “So… What happens now?”

“I'm pretty sure this is the part where I either awkwardly leave, or you ask me to stay over.” Keith knew how it went. It was the same two things every time. It was just a little different since their time together was planned.

“It's up to you,” Shiro said with a lopsided smile. He didn't want to pressure Keith either way.

“Well, I kind of don't want to leave, so if you're cool with it, I'll stay.” Keith smiled back at Shiro.

“Sounds good,” Shiro said. He leaned in towards Keith. “Can I kiss you?”

Keith snorted quietly at Shiro. He was adorable. Instead of answering, he grabbed Shiro by the shirt and pressed their lips together.

Shiro closed his eyes and melted into the kiss. He brought his hand up to touch Keith’s face, amazed by how soft Keith’s hair felt beneath his fingertips. Keith tastes like cheap beer and cigarettes. He relaxed and let Keith take the lead-- Shiro didn't care if all they did was make out tonight.

Keith winced at the taste of cheap beer, but didn't let it ruin the moment. His hands slowly trailed down Shiro’s sides as his tongue trailed along his bottom lip. He’d wanted to know what it felt like to kiss Shiro for a while-- he's thriving right now.

Shiro opened his mouth and let Keith deepen the kiss. His hand traced Keith’s spine, then slid up the back of his shirt.

As Keith’s tongue lapped over Shiro’s, he pulled himself closer. He eventually ended up directly in his lap with his hands slowly creeping up Shiro’s shirt.

Shiro suddenly felt self-conscious with Keith’s hands on his bare skin. His body was littered with raised scars, with most of the damage on his right side. He didn't pull away or ask Keith to stop yet, but his insecurities nagged at the back of his mind.

While Keith’s hands roamed Shiro’s body, he noticed that his skin felt heavily scarred. He wasn't surprised or turned off by it; he didn't care.

Keith pulled back from the kiss to pepper kisses along Shiro’s neck. He trailed his lips to his jaw line, ear lobe, then to his lips again before biting down and pulling on his bottom lip.

Shiro’s eyes flew open his eyes in surprise when Keith bit him, but he didn't mind a little bit of pain at all. He's always been a bit of a masochist. When Shiro grabbed Keith’s ass and moved him closer, he felt something long and hard in Keith’s back pocket.

“Is that a knife in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”

Keith started to roll his hips forward, but stopped halfway to raise a brow at Shiro. He cracked a smile, reached back, then pulled out his switchblade.

“Uh, well.” He started to laugh before tossing it onto the nightstand. “It was definitely a knife.”

Shiro laughed with him.

“It sure was.” He took this moment while they weren't kissing to pull his white V-neck shirt over his head. He flushed and looked away from Keith, biting his lip nervously. He half-expected Keith to be disgusted by his bare skin.

Keith took his dark T-shirt off as Shiro removed his own. His gaze moved down to Shiro’s torso as he now got the full view of his scars. The scars stood out in bright pink blotches, raised skin stretched tight over his ribs. He carefully dragged his fingers over the right side of his body before pulling away.

“I think scars are pretty badass.” He said as he gestured to the large one that brandished his own shoulder. “It shows you survived some of the worst, you know?”

Shiro shrugged and said, “I guess, but I wish they hadn't ruined so much of my ink.” He turned his gaze to Keith’s torso and hesitantly ran his fingers over the jagged scar running from Keith’s shoulder blade to his collarbone. “How'd you get this?”

“Got into a pretty bad fight.” Keith said as he placed his hand on Shiro’s right arm. It was strange to see Shiro without the rest of his sleeve, but he’d get used to it. “It kind of fucked up my shoulder for a while, but it's fine, now.”

“Must've been some fight,” Shiro said, mildly impressed. “That looks like it was deep.” His hand continued to wander Keith’s chest and stomach, appreciating his firm muscles.

Keith took in a sharp breath as he bit his lip.

“Yeah. It wasn't pretty.” One hand slowly glided to Shiro’s pecs as his thumb gently rolled over a nipple. He was admiring his body now.

Shiro was getting flustered with Keith looking at him with so much lust. He reached up to tangle his fingers in Keith’s hair and pull the other man back down to kiss him again.

Keith accepted the kiss with a quiet grunt. His eyes closed as he took Shiro by the shoulders, rolling his hips forward.

Shiro groaned softly and met Keith halfway when he repeated the motion. His hand gripped Keith’s hip. Once Shiro gripped onto him, Keith pressed into him a bit harder. Keith bit down on Shiro's bottom lip again as a low groan filled his throat.

Shiro grunted and dug his nails into Keith’s hip in retaliation. The grinding felt good, but it wasn't nearly enough contact for Shiro.

After a few moments, Keith pulled back, then shifted away from Shiro to undo his own belt and throw it to the floor. He didn't go any further, though.

“Do you want to do this?”

Shiro nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

“Uh… How do you want to do this?”

Keith snickered at how excited Shiro looked.

“I've got some ideas that involve that nice ass of yours in the air.”

Shiro shifted and leaned forward to kiss Keith’s cheek.

“I like that idea… but give me a couple minutes.” Shiro got up and headed for the bathroom. He was embarrassed that he didn't prep beforehand, but he hadn't been expecting to go home with Keith tonight. When he turned around, Keith got a full view of the black bird wing tattoos on Shiro’s shoulder blades with small feathers trailing down his ribs, and a detailed black and red feather just above his waistband. The right wing was ripped by a jagged scar across his shoulder, and half his ribs were covered by a nasty looking scar, destroying most of the tattoo.

Shiro emerged a couple minutes later minus his jeans, it was way too much effort to put those back on again. However, Shiro had put his underwear back on because he felt awkward walking back out there naked. Even though they had explicitly agreed to have sex, he was still body-shy.

Once Shiro excused himself, Keith checked his phone for the time, slipped his pants off, then sat back down on the bed. As Shiro approached the bed again, Keith beckoned him over with his finger.

“Got all ready just for me, huh?”

Shiro bit his lip and nodded. He was amazed at how _not_ shy Keith was in this situation, while he seemed so nervous on their date. The confidence was hot, to be honest. He climbed into bed with Keith and sat down beside him.

This was pretty much Keith’s element. He’d been used to hooking up with people like this, so everything from then on would be a routine… as sad as it sounded. Keith placed a hand on Shiro’s leg, slowly moving it to his inner thigh as he made eye contact.

“How come you didn't tell me about your back tattoos?”

“Oh, Allura did those! They're some of my favorites… I'm bummed about how they look now.” Shiro’s voice was a little sad, but he opened his legs wider at Keith’s touch. He leaned back on his elbows and looked down at the planets he tattooed on his thighs recently. “Sorry I didn't tell you about those either.”

“You've got a lot of surprises for me, Shiro.” Keith said with a soft chuckle. His hand moved to squeeze Shiro through his boxers before settling on his hip. “Turn over so I can see them again… among other things.”

Shiro kissed Keith on the lips briefly before he did as he asked. He lied down on his stomach and rested his chin on his folded arms. He blinked up at Keith.

“Like the view?”

Keith hummed at the kiss, then knelt between Shiro’s legs after the other man lied down. He got a much better view of his back tattoos. Keith's hands started at his shoulders, then ran down his back. He grasped onto the waistband of his boxers, but stopped.

“Bend your knees so that nice ass of yours is in the air for me.”

Shiro looked back at Keith and grinned at the request. He shifted onto his knees and buried his face in the pillow. He felt exposed like this, but it excited him.

Keith pulled Shiro’s boxers down, letting them fall down to his knees. He hummed as his hands reached out to squeeze and grope at Shiro’s ass. Keith then leaned forward to press a few kisses to one cheek before biting down on his skin.

Shiro turned his head and cracked a eye open, looking back at Keith.

“That's not what eating ass means.”

“Uh, this is the appetizer.” Keith said as he looked Shiro right in the eye.

“I'm getting to the main course in a second.” He snorted quietly at his own joke.

“Bon appétit,” Shiro replied, wiggling his hips at Keith. Shiro hid his face again, unable to stop himself from laughing after that joke.

Keith stared at Shiro before bursting into laughter. His head was leaning on Shiro’s ass, but he honestly didn't mind it.

“Of all the things you could have said to me, that's the first thing that comes to mind.”

“I was just going along with your bit!” Shiro said, his voice muffled by the pillow before he lifted his head. “What did you expect me to say, ‘ _itadakimasu_ ’?”

“Eat a daki who?” Keith is confused, but laughing either way. It must have been Japanese. “I almost expected you to say something like ‘Dinner’s served,’ but…” He trailed off, still snickering.

Shiro snorted with laughter.

“It means basically the same thing.”

“So now you're pulling Japanese out on me?” He asked as he started to massage Shiro’s ass. “I won't be surprised if you just stop speaking English to me this entire time.”

Shiro huffed and rolled his eyes.

“Nah, it doesn't work like that.”

“Good, because that’d be awkward.” Keith sat up a little to pull his own underwear off, then tossed it somewhere. He placed his hands on Shiro’s hips. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Shiro said, feeling anticipation mixed with a nervousness. He was also disappointed that Keith lost the plot about eating him out, but perhaps another time. He shifted to dig around in the nightstand for a bottle of lube and a condom, which he tossed at Keith.

After grabbing the items from Shiro, Keith took some time to carefully slide the condom on and slick himself up with lube. He then nodded to himself as he lined himself up to Shiro’s entrance. Slowly, he slid himself in with a quiet groan.

“Fuck…”

Shiro bit down on the pillow and his hand became a fist in the sheets. His muscles were tense around Keith, and he took deep breaths to relax. He knew the initial discomfort would pass, but he regretted not spending more time fingering himself open in the bathroom.

Keith gave Shiro a moment to adjust before starting to move at a slow place. He could feel his heart beating faster with every thrust.

“You know, I didn't expect to end the day with a new tattoo _and_ my dick in your ass.”

Shiro laughed and mumbled a “shut up” into the wet fabric in his mouth.

Keith laughed along with him as he started to go a little faster.

“Huh? What was that? I swore I heard you tell me to shut up.”

Shiro looked over his shoulder at Keith and damn, it was a nice view.

“I did,” Shiro said breathlessly. “What are you going to do about it?” He moved his hips back into Keith’s thrusts.

Keith took in a breath as he smirked down at Shiro. He tightened his grip on his hips, then leaned forward a little. Without saying another word, he thrust harder and faster into Shiro.

Shiro made a noise in the back of his throat and his head dropped back onto the pillows. The change in Keith’s angle had him seeing stars.

“Keith, fuck,” he gasped, feeling close but trying to hang on until Keith finished first.

Keith threw his head back as he let out a loud moan. His nails started to dig into Shiro’s sides, then he leaned forward, pressing his chest to Shiro’s back.

“God, Shiro… fuck.”

Shiro kept up with Keith’s quick thrusts, and he made little sounds whenever Keith hit his prostate. He clutched at the mattress for dear life and squeezed his eyes shut. His legs were shaking under Keith’s weight.

Keith could feel himself getting close to finishing as he buried his face into Shiro’s back.

“Shit, Shiro, I'm about to,” Though he couldn't finish his sentence as he felt his body shake.

“Yeah, me too,” Shiro panted. His toes curled and his muscles clenched around Keith as he climaxed. He whined when Keith kept fucking him through his orgasm, but he wasn't about to tell Keith to pull out when he wasn't finished yet. The sheets were stained underneath them, but Shiro couldn't care less right now.

Keith finished a few seconds after Shiro as he rode out his orgasm. After catching his breath, he pulled back and ran his fingers through his hair with a tired smile.

“Jesus, _fuck._ ”

Shiro stretched out on the bed with a tired sigh when Keith pulled out of him. His legs were still shaking, and his heart was pounding.

“You're gonna be the death of me,” Shiro mumbled.

“Pft, seriously? I normally go for multiple rounds, you know.” Keith threw the condom into the trash, then he lied down next to Shiro. They were both sweaty and out of breath.

Shiro opened one eye to squint up at Keith.

“Maybe next time,” he groaned. Shiro shifted to lie down with his head on Keith’s chest. He moved one of his legs between Keith’s and held his hand.

Keith quietly grunted as Shiro put his weight onto him. He was tense at first, but slowly grew more comfortable at the contact. He squeezed Shiro’s hand, then closed his eyes. Being touched like this was odd, but he enjoyed it.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Shiro buried his face into the crook of Keith’s neck with a contented sigh. He grinned when Keith agreed that there would be a next time. The lights were still on, and he wanted to brush his teeth, but Shiro was far too comfortable to move.

Keith let himself relax, not letting the lights bother him at all. If things were going to be like this all of the time with Shiro, then he was more than happy to keep what they have going. At this point, he could feel himself falling asleep, but he kept waking himself up.

Shiro could feel Keith nodding off and twitching when he woke back up.

“You okay?” Shiro asked. “I can move if you want.” He kissed Keith’s neck lazily.

“I was kind of trying not to fall asleep but that might be inevitable.” He said with a quiet laugh. “Don't move, I'm comfy.”

“Okay,” Shiro yawned and nuzzled Keith. His breathing evened out and he fell asleep on Keith’s chest.

 

* * *

  


Sunlight streamed through the window onto the bed. Shiro stirred and blinked owlishly, unwilling to move just yet. Sometime during the night, Keith had wrapped his arms around Shiro. He sighed and settled back into Keith’s embrace, feeling safe and comfortable.

Keith felt himself slowly waking up with his vision blocked by Shiro’s body. His face twisted a little as his eyes opened, only to fall shut again. He didn't want to be awake, but his body wouldn't let him attempt to sleep again. Instead of moving to see if Shiro was awake, Keith groaned, “Shiroooo.”

Shiro grunted in response and held Keith tighter. Their legs were tangled together and one of Keith’s hands was in his hair. If Keith started playing with his hair, Shiro could die right here a happy man.

Keith shifted a little so he could see Shiro’s face. The hand in Shiro’s hair started to sift through it as Keith spoke.

“You awake?”

“Morning,” Shiro mumbled, nuzzling into Keith’s hand. “What time is it?”

Keith shrugged. His phone was on the floor with his pants.

“No idea. Probably ten or something,” he said as he laid back on the pillows.

Shiro rolled over with a groan. He was reluctant to pull away from Keith, but he needed to make sure he hadn't slept through his therapy appointment. He fished his phone out of the pile of clothes on the floor and sighed in relief at the time. It was only ten, he had a couple hours before he needed to do anything. He took a moment to text Allura and tell her that the date went well and he made it home safely. He felt bad for forgetting to do it last night, but his phone wasn't blown up, which showed him that she wasn't too worried.

“I'm kinda sore,” Shiro admitted as he set his phone on the nightstand so he could stretch his arms above his head. His right arm was also bothering him this morning, and he rubbed at his scarred elbow absent-mindedly.

Keith laughed quietly as he sat up in the bed. He got up, looked for his phone, then opted for sitting on the floor next to the pile of clothes. He had a few texts but decided to ignore them for now.

“Yeah? I'm not surprised.”

“It had been a while,” Shiro said as he ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to fix it. “Do you want to shower first? I can start on breakfast…”

“Yeah- wait, are you sure you can do that with just…” Keith trailed off, then got up. “Don't answer that. I'll shower.” He grabbed his jeans and underwear then headed to the bathroom.

Shiro raised an eyebrow at Keith, he knew Keith had been about to question if he could cook one-handed. Shiro had never been great at cooking, but it was hard to fuck up frozen waffles. He rolled out of bed after Keith left and went into the kitchen. He yawned as he measured coffee grounds and poured water in the coffee maker. While he waited on coffee, he worked on putting his prosthetic on. He also slipped into the boxers from last night and an oversized shirt.

Shiro washed his antidepressant pills down with black coffee. He leaned against the counter as he watched the waffles turn golden brown in the toaster. Maybe he should have started on the scrambled eggs first, but hindsight is twenty-twenty. He turned his back on the toaster to fight with the egg carton, not noticing the smoke rising from the appliance.

After Keith spent five minutes trying to figure out the knobs, he got in the shower and stood there for a bit. He spent at least ten minutes in until he heard the fire alarm start to go off. Keith turned the shower off, grabbed a towel, and poked his head out of the bathroom.

“Uh, Shiro? What’d you do?”

Shiro was frantically waving a dish towel at the smoke detector. There were two blackened waffles on a plate with smoke rising from them. Shiro turned around blushing when Keith called him.

“Uh, everything's fine! Don't worry about it!” He tried to stand in front of the first attempt at breakfast.

“... Oh my god, did you burn the waffles?” Keith asked as he walked toward the kitchen. He was soaking wet, but didn't care enough at the moment. Keith laughed, then looked behind Shiro. He fucked up frozen waffles.

“How…”

Shiro playfully swatted Keith with the towel. The beeping had finally stopped.

“I can fix this, go finish your shower! You have soap in your hair,” Shiro laughed as he talked and kept trying to hide the waffles behind his back.

Keith flicked some soap at Shiro as he scampered back to the bathroom.

“Alright, alright!” He got back into the shower and finished washing his hair, then got back out. He dried his hair off, kept the towel wrapped around his head, then opted for only putting his boxers on.

After leaving the bathroom and throwing his jeans on the floor, he went back to the kitchen. “So...How's the chef?”

Shiro was leaning over the stove staring intently at a pan of scrambled eggs. He turned around and smiled at Keith.

“It's going a lot better now!” he said cheerfully as he sprinkled more pepper into the pan. He opted to make the second attempt at waffles in the microwave, but he would wait until the eggs were almost done to start them. There was a vanilla-scented candle burning on the counter in an attempt to mask the burnt food smell.

“How do you like your coffee?” Shiro asked.

Keith yawned and leaned against the counter.

“A lot of fucking creamer and like one sugar.” He looked over at the pan, then the candle, and snickered. “That candle is barely helping the smell, Shiro.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Shiro said with a wink. He stirred the eggs one more time before he made Keith’s coffee. Shiro didn’t have creamer, so he used milk instead. He opened a bunch of cabinets looking for his jar of sugar. “Uh, could you watch the eggs for a minute?” Shiro didn't want to fuck the eggs up too. He was trying to make a nice breakfast for a cute guy, and it was frustrating that it kept backfiring. He wished he'd taken Hunk up on his offer for cooking lessons after his disastrous attempt to make dinner for Hunk back in college.

“Yeah, I got it.” Keith took over for the eggs, shifting them around in the pan a bit. He wasn't much of a cook himself, but he knew how to make eggs. Neither one of his fathers would let him leave their house before knowing how to at least do basic cooking. “So, you have anything to do today?”

Shiro eventually found the sugar hiding behind a case of ramen cups. He answered Keith as he stirred one scoop of sugar into his coffee.

“Yeah, I have therapy later, and then I'm going into work for a couple hours… How about you?” He handed Keith his coffee and reached over Keith’s head to start the microwave.

Keith finished off the eggs and slid them onto a plate so they wouldn't stick to the pan. He noticed the ramen cups and raised a brow at the amount. There were a lot of them.

“I have some work to do later on but other than that, I'll probably hang out with someone.” Keith looked to Shiro, then back to the cabinet. “That's… a lot of ramen.”

“Hey, don't judge me.” Shiro nudged the cabinet closed with his hip. “It's cheaper to buy in bulk.”

The microwave beeped, and Shiro used his prosthetic to grab the hot waffles.  Shiro set the plate down on the counter and grabbed forks and napkins for the two of them.

 “What do you put on your waffles? I have syrup or Nutella. Or peanut butter.”

Keith blinked at Shiro as he furrowed his brows.

“Wait, you put peanut butter on your waffles?” It's not like he had any room to judge, he just hadn't heard of that before. “I put syrup on mine, though… I put it on my eggs, too.”

“But, no, back to the ramen. You really don't like cooking, do you?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty hopeless at it,” Shiro said with a laugh. “And that was before I had to do it one-handed.” Shiro got the syrup out of the cabinet and hot sauce out of the fridge. The two of them divided the food equally between the two plates. Shiro poured a liberal amount of hot sauce on his eggs and covered his waffles in syrup before he passed the bottle to Keith.

“Eh, I'm not much of a cook either. My apartment has mostly just microwave dinners and salt and vinegar chips.” Keith took the bottle of syrup and basically killed his food with it. He has no shame.

“I live off frozen food and Hunk’s leftovers, to be honest,” Shiro said before he shoved a bite of eggs in his mouth.

Keith started on his waffles as he spoke.

“Oh yeah, Hunk was talking about some food he made the night before while doing one of my tattoos. He made me insanely hungry after.”

“I have some of this yellow curry he made this weekend… God, we should be having that for breakfast. It's so good.” It honestly wasn't unusual for Shiro to eat dinner foods in the morning, but he had been trying to make a good impression on Keith.

“I can't believe you didn't just heat that up. That sounds good.” Keith smiled as he worked on his eggs. Some of the syrup dripped down to his chest, which reminded him that he was still only in his boxers.

“Welp. There goes that.”

Shiro reached over to wipe the syrup off of Keith, then Shiro stuck his finger in his mouth. He made eye contact with Keith while he sucked on his own finger.

“Yeah, it's a shame. You just took a shower, too.”

Keith stared at Shiro with his lips parted. He licked his lips a little before speaking.

“You’re a dangerous man, Shiro.”

Shiro pulled the finger out of his mouth with a wet pop and grinned at Keith.

“How so?” He asked, leaning his chin on his prosthetic.

Keith rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms.

“Do you want me to list off all the reasons?” He said with a smirk.

“Mhm,” Shiro replied around a mouthful of food that he washed down with the rest of his coffee. He leaned over the counter to set his empty plate and cup in the sink on the other side.

“First off, you're insanely attractive, so anything you do is going to get to me,” Keith started as he finished his food, then set his place in the sink. “Second, maybe it's just me being into it, but what you did just now with your finger? That. That's dangerous.”

Shiro grinned at Keith.

“I could say the same about you… It's going to be a while before you have to be anywhere, right?” His gaze trailed down Keith’s bare chest to his boxers, and he licked his lips.

“Yeah, I have some time…” Keith followed Shiro’s gaze, then bit his lip. “You look like you have something on your mind.” He was teasing; he knew exactly what Shiro was thinking.

“I think I'm still kind of hungry,” Shiro said, although he wasn't talking about food and they both knew it.

Keith smirked, leaning forward a little.

“You are? What’d you have in mind?”

Shiro leaned forward and kissed Keith, smiling into the kiss because he tasted like syrup. Keith hummed as their lips connected. His tongue trailed along Shiro’s bottom lip, then he pulled away.

“That wasn't what I had in mind, but I couldn't resist,” Shiro said. He hopped off the barstool and got on his knees in front of Keith. “Is this okay?”

Once Shiro was in front of him, Keith reached out to push the white part of his hair back.

“It's more than okay.”

Shiro pushed Keith’s legs apart so he could settle between them. He kissed Keith’s inner thigh and ran his hand over the bulge in his underwear. He grabbed one leg of the chair with his prosthetic to brace himself.

Keith propped one of his feet up on the bar on the stool. He shifted his hips a bit as a small noise filled his throat, then moved his hand to the back of Shiro’s head.

Shiro smirked as Keith guided his head between his legs. The stubble on his cheeks rubbed against Keith’s thighs as he pressed kisses into his skin on the way down. He mouthed along Keith’s cock over his boxers, leaving a wet spot on the fabric. He opened his eyes and looked up at Keith’s face to gauge his reaction.

Keith gasped once Shiro started mouth over his cock. His head hung low, watching Shiro’s every move. When he looked up at him, Keith licked his lips and smirked at him.

Shiro grinned back and maintained eye contact as he pulled Keith’s cock out of the slit in his boxers. He stroked slowly and ran his thumb over the tip in lazy circles. He licked the underside from base to tip and closed his eyes as he took the head into his mouth.

Right as Shiro started to work his cock, Keith let his eyes close. A low groan filled his throat as his hand was already pressing Shiro further down. It’d been awhile since Keith had gotten head, so he hoped it didn't show.

Shiro had always enjoyed giving head, and according to many of his previous partners, he was good at it. He didn't mind Keith guiding him, in fact he thought it was hot. He kept his lips over his teeth as Keith pushed him down farther. When Shiro’s nose reached fabric, he let out a pleased hum.

Keith’s lips parted as he let out a moan. He looked toward Shiro again, a small smirk forming on his lips now. His hand went back to Shiro’s hair as he spoke.

“God, you look hot down there.”

Shiro opened his eyes and gave Keith a sly wink. He moaned around Keith and started to bob his head, and he reached up to grab Keith’s hip. His grip was tighter than it needed to be, partially in retaliation for the crescent-shaped marks Keith left on his hips last night.

Keith was more than okay with Shiro’s tight grip. He panted hard as he tried not to thrust up into Shiro’s mouth. He had some form of self control, but it wouldn't last for long.

“Fuck, just like that, Shiro.”

Shiro let go of Keith’s hip for a second so he could give the other man a thumb’s up in response. He kept up the quick pace he had set, enjoying the downright filthy sounds coming from his mouth. He was drooling on himself and Keith, but he didn't care.

“Please don't ever give me a thumbs up while blowing me ever again.” Keith managed a laugh, but was cut off by another moan. Whatever self control he had before was thinning pretty quick. He shifted himself just a bit before huffing. “Shiro… Shiro, wait. Hold on. I have an idea.”

Shiro pulled away as soon as Keith told him to stop, his lips parted and a trail of saliva still connecting him to Keith.

“What's your idea?” He asked breathlessly.

Keith breathed hard as one hand trailed down the side of Shiro’s face.

“Let me fuck your mouth.”

Shiro blinked in surprise at Keith’s forwardness, then he nodded.

“Sure,” he said, backing up to let Keith stand. “You can pull my hair if you want.” Keith being open about what he wanted encouraged Shiro to do the same.

Keith stood, pushed the stool back just in case, then smiled down at Shiro.

“Just tell me if I yank too hard. Slap my thigh or something.”

“Or I could give you a thumbs down,” Shiro teased. He looked up at Keith with want in his eyes and beckoned him forward with a finger.

“Shiro, I swear to God.” Keith snickered as he stepped forward. He took his cock in one hand, then held Shiro by his hair as he waited for him to open his mouth.

Shiro opened wide and leaned in, bracing himself with one hand on the floor and the other on Keith’s hip. Once Shiro opened his mouth, Keith slowly slid his cock in and let out a breath. When Shiro wrapped his lips around him, Keith started to slowly thrust into his mouth.

Shiro moaned softly and held still, allowing Keith to call the shots now. His eyes closed and his grip on Keith’s hip tightened as Keith picked up the pace.

Keith’s hips moved faster as he gripped Shiro’s hair. He moaned louder this time as his heart started to race.

“Fuck, Shiro..”

Shiro moved his hand to the base of Keith’s cock and wrapped his fingers around it, stroking in time with Keith’s thrusts. He continued to make little sounds in the back of his throat as Keith used his mouth as he pleased.

“I'm almost there,” Keith moaned as his thrusts became more erratic. Keith leaned his head back while his moans became frequent, along with Shiro’s name slipping from his tongue.

Some of the hard thrusts made Shiro gag, but he didn't want Keith to stop. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes and he stroked Keith faster.

After a few more thrusts, Keith pulled away to stroke his cock. His head fell forward as he climaxed and finished on Shiro’s face. Part of him felt bad, but Shiro looked amazing under him like that.

Shiro pulled his hand away when Keith backed up, thinking that something was wrong. When he realized what was happening, he squeezed his eyes shut and stuck his tongue out. Most of Keith’s cum ended up streaked across his face and chest, and much to Shiro’s disappointment very little ended up in his mouth.

Keith laughed as he took a small step back.

“You look pretty hot like that.” He said with a smirk. There was a bit of his cum stuck to his fingers, so he knelt down in front of Shiro to press them to his lips.

Shiro obediently took Keith’s fingers into his mouth and sucked on them. Shiro was a mess, his face streaked with cum and tears, but he felt so satisfied even though he wasn't the one that finished.

Keith hummed as Shiro took his fingers in. After pulling away, he dragged his thumb across Shiro’s lower lip.

“I didn't know it was possible to be more attractive with my cum all over your face, but here you are, proving me wrong.”

Shiro wiped his eyes so he could open them, then licked the cum off his fingers.

“I’m doing my best,” Shiro said with a shrug.

“Your best was great. Looks like I even got some tears out of you.” Keith used his other hand to wipe them away, then sat back on his heels.

“It's okay, I liked it,” Shiro said, his face heating up as he admitted that he didn't mind crying during sex. “So… I definitely need a shower now.”

Keith tucked himself back into his boxers, quickly grabbed a paper towel, wet it, then turned to Shiro.

“Come here.”

Shiro stood and walked over to Keith to lean against the counter beside him. He bent down so Keith could wipe his face.

“Thanks.”

Keith carefully wiped the cum off of Shiro’s face and chest, then threw the paper towel away. “There.” He smiled at Shiro, then crossed his arms. “You better go shower.”

Shiro nodded and kissed Keith on the cheek before he went into the bathroom to clean up. He felt pretty gross since he didn't shower after their encounter last night, and round two certainly didn't help. He took his prosthetic off and stripped as he waited for the water to heat up. As he stepped into the warm water, he hummed to himself contentedly. For a first date, this was pretty fucking nice. He could get used to this.

Once Shiro excused himself, Keith grabbed his phone, sat on the bed, and immediately started to text Pidge. A lot of this was new to him; going on a date, staying the night, and not leaving in the morning. He had actual feelings for someone this time.

Keith let his eyes close as he laid back, then placed his phone on his chest. His hands covered his face as he thought to himself. Shiro was probably going to want to keep what they have going- which, he didn't mind. It was just a change of pace and he did not like change. Even if it was positive, change didn't sit well with him.

When Pidge texted back, Keith furrowed his brows, then tossed the phone into the night stand. He just had to make sure Shiro didn't notice that he was a bit distressed.

Shiro emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed. He had a towel held in front of him; it wasn't easy to wrap it around his waist with one hand. He stood in front of the dresser and finished getting dressed, but he left the prosthetic off for now.

Keith sat up when Shiro left the shower, then picked his phone up again. He texted back a few people that messaged him earlier in the morning, then let his fathers know that he was coming over later. He looked to Shiro as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“You smell good, I can smell you from here.”

“Thanks, it's this cool new thing called soap,” Shiro said with a straight face. He also picked up his phone and sat on the bed to answer a few texts. Coran wanted to know what time to pick him up to take him to his appointment, and Allura was pestering him for details about his date. He grinned down at his phone as he sent a winking emoticon in response to Allura’s questions.

“Wow, really? You'll have to show it to me sometime.” Keith snickered, then looked at his phone again when one of his fathers texted him back. He looked up, then noticed that Shiro was grinning. “What’s got you so happy?”

“Allura is already grilling me about dating a customer,” Shiro laughed.

“Heh. Maybe one day she’ll go out with a customer and you can get on her ass about it.” Keith smiled over at Shiro.

“I'm sure it'll happen eventually… Hunk is seeing one of his regulars too.”

“So it's bound to happen someday.” Keith laughed quietly. He really should start heading home, but he still didn't want to leave.

Shiro hummed in agreement and crossed his room to his desk, which had clear drawers of neatly organized art supplies. He grabbed a sketchbook and pen and went back to the bed. He sat down across from Keith while he sketched and kept glancing up at him.

Keith blinked at Shiro, then looked at his sketchbook. Part of him wished he could just draw, but the idea of it also stressed him out a bit.

”What are you drawing?”

“I had an idea for your chest tattoo.” Shiro held the book up with one hand and turned it towards Keith. “What do you think of a phoenix?” The sketch took up most of the page and the focus was on Keith’s chest, but there was also a rough outline of a flaming bird with its wings spread across his pecs, the feathers curling up and across the collarbones.

Keith scooted closer to Shiro to look at the sketch. His eyes immediately lit up. It was pretty badass and probably better than anything he could have come up with.

“I like that a lot, actually. It's pretty badass.”

“It was a shower idea,” Shiro said with a grin. “Although getting acquainted with my canvas also helped.”

“Ooh, I’m your canvas now?” He asked with a teasing grin.

“You do have a lot of my work on your body,” Shiro said, running his finger down Keith’s arm and admiring his and Allura’s handiwork.

“Yeah, you have a point.” Keith watched Shiro’s finger run along his skin, then shifted again so their shoulders were pressed together. “I guess I don't mind being your canvas for a while, then.”

“I'm glad,” Shiro said, resting his head on top of Keith’s. “You inspire me… Is it creepy that I've drawn you before?”

Keith paused, then furrowed his brows.

“Wait- seriously? Can I see it?” Well, that was strange. He never thought someone would ever want to draw him.

Shiro started flipping back through the sketchbook, blushing at some suggestive sketches of Allura and Hunk that were towards the front of the book. He eventually found the drawing of Keith. It was a portrait of Keith’s face and torso from the side, and he looked content and lost in thought. Keith’s arm was in the foreground of the piece, as was Shiro’s hand holding the tattoo machine.

“That was… this tattoo,” Shiro said, tapping one of the ones on Keith’s forearm, a moth. “I think it was the first one I gave you. A lot of people come in the first time nervous, but you were so blissed out in the chair..  It really stuck with me and I had to go home and draw it.” Unlike most of the drawings Shiro passed over, this one was in pencil and it looked like he erased and reworked Keith’s face a couple times.

As Keith held the sketchbook, he marveled at how beautiful it looked. It even looked like him. He smiled down at it, then looked at the moth tattoo on his arm. At first, he really was nervous to get his tattoo, but once the process started, he grew to like it. Maybe he’s masochistic? Probably. Either way, it kickstarted his tattoo obsession.

“I really like this, Shiro. Why didn't you tell me you drew me before?”

“I dunno, I didn't want you to think I was like, stalking you or something,” Shiro said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Some people might be off put by it.”

Keith shrugged as he gave the book back to Shiro.

“I mean, I'm in the shop all the time. I don't think i would've thought it was creepy. Especially if it looks this good.”

“Well, thank you!” Shiro said happily. “I could clean it up and ink it…” He ran his fingers over the page, thinking about how he would fix some of the lines he wasn't happy with.

“You should. It looks nice already.” Keith relaxed against Shiro’s shoulder and let out a sigh. He pulled his phone back out, checked the time, then groaned. “I should probably go soon.”

“I'm getting picked up soon too,” Shiro sighed. “This was fun.”

Keith didn't move for a few seconds before sitting up straight.

“Yeah, I like hanging out with you, Shiro.” He smiled at him as he turned Shiro’s face to press their lips together.

Shiro brought his hand up to run his fingers through Keith’s hair as they kissed. His eyes closed and he hummed happily. They would never go to work at this rate.

Keith shifted closer, allowing himself to get lost in Shiro’s lips. He kept the kiss going for a few more moments, then pulled away with a small smile.

“I should uh, probably get my clothes on.”

“What, can't go to work in your boxers?” Shiro teased. “Oh uh, did you want to borrow some clean ones? I don't mind.”

“Y’know, I don’t think it’d be professional to go to work in my boxers, Shiro.” Keith said with a laugh.

“But, are you sure?” If Keith borrowed Shiro’s boxers, he’d most likely never get them back. “I mean, if you’re okay with it, then alright?” He swung his legs over the side of the bed, then stood up to slip his shirt on.

“It's cool.” Shiro got up to rummage through his dresser, and he tossed a pair of blue plaid boxers to Keith.

Keith caught the boxers and nodded to Shiro. He changed into them, slid his jeans and shoes on, then made sure he had everything.

“Thanks, Shiro. So uh, I’ll see you?”

“Yep, you have my number now,” Shiro said. He grabbed his keys and walked Keith outside. Coran had also texted him to say that he was on his way to pick him up.

Keith nodded, then walked out with Shiro. He grumbled a bit as they stepped outside; the sun was blaring down on them. Keith swore that he was a vampire sometimes.

“I’ll probably shoot you a text later if the heat doesn’t take me prisoner.”

“I'll look forward to it. Have a good day, Keith!” Shiro said with a wave. Shiro realized when he stepped outside that he totally forgot to put his prosthetic back on after his shower.

Keith waved to Shiro as he got into his car.

“You too, Shiro.” After starting the car, he lit a cigarette and drove off. He had to quickly get home, change his clothes, and figure out what he was doing for ‘work’ today.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll probably be double posting chapters this weekend...woop!

Thace was curled up on the couch with a glass of red wine in his hand and a lit cigarette in the other. he leaned against Ulaz’s side, and a blue throw blanket was wrapped around their legs. “Hey,” Thace said, nudging his husband with his elbow to take his attention off whatever was on HGTV. “Do you think Keith is okay? He seemed flustered this morning.” He leaned over and tapped the excess ash into the ashtray on the coffee table.

Ulaz was caught in the trance that is HGTV. Somehow, building a deck from scratch piqued his interest even though their backyard wasn't big enough for that. He flinched at Thace’s touch, then turned his attention to his husband.

“Hm? Oh, he’s probably fine. He would’ve called if anything was a real emergency, Thace.”

“Hmm, I guess you're right. I just worry, you know?” Thace took a drag of the cigarette, then offered it to Ulaz.

“I worry too, but I trust him. He’ll probably be here soon.” Ulaz accepted the cigarette and took a drag before giving it back to Thace. “What do you think is wrong?”

“I have no idea. Something must have happened yesterday, since he was with us all weekend…” Thace said with a frown. 

“Didn’t he say he was getting another tattoo?” Ulaz raised a brow as he sat up. “You don’t think he got something he instantly regretted, do you?”

Thace laughed at that. 

“I hope that's all it is. I don't know if that calls for an ‘I want to ask you about something,’ though.”

Ulaz shrugged as he laughed along with Thace.

“You never know.” Just then, the door opened, and there stood Keith with a worried look on his face. Ulaz looked toward the door with a smile, then patted the spot on the couch beside him. “Alright, let’s hear what’s bothering you.”

Keith slowly closed the door and sighed, looking toward his fathers with a small smile. He sat down on the couch next to Ulaz and stayed quiet for a moment. Thace finished the cigarette and left the stub smoldering in the ashtray. He turned towards Keith and frowned.

“Come on, spill. You know you can tell us anything,” Thace said, reaching over his husband to elbow his son. Ulaz also elbowed Keith, but stayed quiet. Keith rolled his eyes as he swatted his fathers’ elbows away before finally speaking.

“I, uh, I met someone. Or, well... Okay, no, I’ve known him for months, but we went out last night.”   


“That's good news, right? Who is this?” Thace leaned his chin on his hand and sipped his drink while he waited for details. 

“He’s the guy that’s been doing my tattoos.” Keith held his arm out, forgetting that he still had the bandage on from yesterday. He quickly peeled it off and tossed it onto the coffee table.

“I’m happy for you, Keith. What’s the problem, though? You sounded worried when you texted us.” Ulaz sat back on the couch, spreading his arms out on the top of it. Thace leaned in to admire the tattoo, then he looked up at Keith’s face with a serious expression.

“You two used condoms, right?”

Keith stared at Thace before covering his face with his palm. He couldn’t even play that one off. “Yes….” 

Ulaz snickered as he took Keith’s arm to look at the tattoo, then turned his attention to Thace. “We’ve taught him well, I’m sure he wouldn’t have forgotten that.”

“I'm just trying to figure out what he's upset about!” Thace said defensively. “But yes, I know you're smarter than that, Keith.”

“I’m not...upset. I’m just confused, I guess. I’ve never… liked someone the way I like this guy.” Keith looked down at his lap as he started to mess with his fingers.

“So you’re scared?” Ulaz asked.

“It's okay to feel that way about a new relationship. That's perfectly normal, actually.” Thace finished off his wine and set the empty glass on the table. He leaned back onto Ulaz’s arm with a contented sigh. “Maybe you're getting ahead of yourself. This was only the first date… You should just relax and see where it goes.” 

Ulaz hooked his arm around Thace’s shoulder and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you don’t know if it’s going to go anywhere or not, Keith.”

Keith gave Thace and Ulaz a glare before speaking. “Okay, yeah, but it’s different this time. It’s… You know how you guys just sit like that and sometimes kiss and all? That’s how this morning went. I’m not used to that and it’s … it’s weird.”

Thace hummed and leaned into Ulaz’s side.

“Change isn't always a bad thing… I'm happy for you.”

“I know… but still.” Keith closed his eyes and sighed as he thought back to the morning he just had. Maybe he was freaking out over nothing.

“Don’t stress about it too much, Keith. Everything will be fine.” Ulaz gave him a smile, then patted his knee.

“Is anything else on your mind?” Thace asked. Maybe there was more to it than Keith told them. Thace was confused as to why a date that seemed to have gone well was making Keith this upset.

“A lot’s on my mind. I guess I’m overthinking it or something… I’ve never really wanted a relationship before but. Idunno.”

“Well, nothing says you have to want a romantic relationship with someone. Not everyone does,” Thace said, looking up at the ceiling. “I didn't think I would ever settle down until Ulaz asked me out. Even then, it took a while to get used to the idea.”

“Hell, even I didn’t think I’d ever settle down with anyone either. I think I got extremely lucky with this one.” Ulaz pressed a soft kiss to Thace’s cheek. “But your father’s right. You don’t need a romantic relationship. It’s a lot of work and you have to be able to handle it, even if things don’t go the way you expect them to.”

Keith nodded as he listened to his fathers talk.

“That’s what I’m worried about-- that if things do get serious and all, am I going to be able to handle it? Because I really like this guy.”

Thace grinned and rested his head on top of his husband’s. 

“Don't stress out about it too much, kiddo,” he said to Keith. “And don't go covering every inch of your body in tattoos to impress this boy.”

Ulaz snickered at Thace’s comment. 

“If you do cover every inch of you body in tattoos, at least make them good ones. I like what you have already.”

“Heh, thanks. I think my favorite is still the moth.” Keith smiled as he traced his finger over his moth tattoo. Thace looked down at the faded ink on his own arms.

“You know, I've been meaning to get mine touched up… Maybe you can introduce me to him sometime.”

“He’s pretty good at what he does. Even if he literally just lost his dominant arm…”

“Wait… what? Ulaz blinked as he sat up a bit. “He just lost his arm?”

“Yeah, what happened to him?” Thace thought about what Keith said for a minute. “And how the fuck is he still doing his job then?”

“He got into a bike accident. He didn’t really go into detail about it, I mean, I can’t blame him, but he ended up losing the bottom part of his right arm.” Keith paused, then sat up a little as he spoke. “He uses his left hand now and he’s honestly just as good with it. He was able to do my tattoo, so…” 

Ulaz raised a brow at Keith. 

“You must have a lot of faith in his skills, then.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Thace added with a snort. “Ulaz, do you think he's the same guy Kolivan scraped off the road in front of the bar a couple months ago?”

“He could be. There haven’t been that many motorcycle accidents around here lately, so…” Ulaz shrugged. 

Keith’s eyes widened a little at that. 

“Wait, so you think Uncle Koli could’ve helped Shiro after his accident?”

Thace nodded and said, “Bikers have to help each other out. I wasn't there that night, but man, the way they described it…” Thace grimaced and didn't provide any more details about what they saw.

Keith started to pick at the skin on his fingers as he listened to Thace talk. He couldn’t imagine how bad Shiro must have looked after his accident. It made him flinch just thinking about it. “Bike accidents are always… scary to think about.” He sighed, then stood up. “I’m gonna steal one of your beers.”

Ulaz opened his mouth to object, but then realized that he had no room to judge him at this point.

Thace handed Keith his empty glass.

“Could you pour me a refill while you're up?” This would be wine glass number three of the afternoon, but it wasn't like Thace had anywhere he had to be today. He was enjoying his day off with his husband. Keith took Thace’s glass and playfully rolled his eyes. 

“I  _ guess  _ I can.” As he walked into the kitchen, he sat the wine glass down and opened the fridge to grab a beer. He then took one of the wine bottles that he assumed Thace was drinking from, took a swig, then poured a decent amount into the glass. 

“This is some good wine, Pops.” He said as he came back to the living room with Thace’s glass and his beer. Ulaz gave Keith a stern look, although it was pretty easy to see through it. 

“You drank straight from the bottle, didn't you?”

Thace snickered and took the drink from Keith. 

“You could've just tried mine.” Thace drank some of his wine then he curled up on the remaining space on the couch and rested his head on Ulaz’s lap.

“I know, but I didn't.” Keith snorted as he sat down next to Ulaz again, leaned his back to his shoulder, and took a sip of his beer. 

Ulaz glanced at both Thace and Keith and sighed. 

“What am I, a pillow?”

“Mhm. A pretty bony pillow, but a pillow all the same,” Thace replied, nuzzling into Ulaz’s thigh.

“I'm not bony.” Ulaz pouted as he ran his fingers through Thace’s hair. Keith turned his head a bit to look at Ulaz.

“Really, dad? Your shoulder is basically piercing my back.” 

Thace grinned and poked Ulaz in the ribs. “You're pretty bony, babe.”

“At least this bony guy can still bone you.” Ulaz said with a smirk.

“ _ DAD, STOP! _ ” Keith wanted to leave. 

Thace was laughing too hard to say anything, and he buried his face in his husband’s shirt. Keith’s scandalized expression was priceless. Keith groaned as he took a long sip of his beer. Sometimes he hated his dads for being like this, but he knows where he gets it from, at least.

He then stayed quiet for a moment as Thace’s laughter died down. He was thinking again. 

“Do you guys think I should've gone to college?” 

Thace looked up at Keith, though his son was upside-down from his perspective. 

“We did tell you we’d pay for it,” Thace said. “But you weren't interested, and we all know you're not doing anything you don't want to do. You get that from your dad.” Thace narrowed his eyes at his with husband playfully. Ulaz gently flicked Thace’s forehead at that.

“But it’s not too late, and it would open a lot of doors for you, Keith,” Thace sighed. He had never wanted Keith to follow in his footsteps. 

“I thought you didn't know what you wanted to do if you did go? Didn't you say that?” 

Keith nodded. 

“Yeah. I don't really have an interest in anything beside playing my guitar.” Saying it out loud sounded a bit sad, but it was true. 

“Well, couldn't you study music?” Thace asked. “I think you could get in if you practiced more often.”

“Yeah but what am I gonna do with that?” Keith looked up at the ceiling.

Ulaz shrugged.

“A lot of things. You could teach music or something.” 

“Or you could start playing more gigs… You know Kolivan will let you play at the bar whenever, you just have to ask,” Thace said. He sat up to take another drink.

Keith groaned at that. “That means playing in front of people..” 

Ulaz hooked his arm around Keith, then leaned on him a bit.

“Of course it does. You're not bad, Keith. You're pretty good. You just have to get rid of that fear of playing for people.” 

“It's not a fear… it's just… um.” Keith stammered.

“A fear. It's a fear, Keith.” Ulaz pointed out.

“So maybe this would be a good place to get over it. You know everyone there already loves you.”

“Yeah, I guess. I'll probably talk to Uncle Koli soon.” Keith leaned into Ulaz a bit and closed his eyes. He didn't want to live like this forever, but it's all he knew at this point, and change was hard. 

“I'm sure he'd love to hear from you,” Thace said, yawning and stretching. “Do you want to stay for lunch?”

“Nah, I had breakfast with Shiro this morning.” Keith responded. 

Ulaz looked at Thace and raised a brow, but didn't say anything. Thace copied his surprised expression. 

“Did he… make you breakfast?” Maybe this new fling  _ was  _ serious.

“Yeah?” Keith shifted to look at both of his fathers. 

“Wow, he made you breakfast with one arm? Impressive.” Ulaz teased. 

Thace smacked Ulaz on the arm lightly.

“Disabled people can still do things, you know.”

Ulaz groaned. “It was a  _ joke _ .” 

“Okay, but what's the big deal about him making me breakfast?” Keith asked. 

“It's just cute,” Thace said. “Plus, it didn't seem like you were the type to even stick around for coffee, before this guy.”

“I wasn't. He's just… different, I think.” Keith sat up, wiggling out of Ulaz’s grasp so he could set his beer down. “He's. A cuddler, too.” 

“Well, it’s obvious that you must really like this guy, then. You hate being touched by most people.” Ulaz mentioned as he adjusted his sitting position.

“You know it's okay to say no if you don't want to be touched like that, right?” Thace asked. His phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket to check the text from Kolivan while he continued talking. “It's okay to set boundaries, don't do something you're uncomfortable with just because you don't want to hurt his feelings.”

“I know. I normally say no to that kind of thing, but it was different this time. I just… had to get used to it because I wanted him to.” Keith sighed as he gripped onto his pants a little. 

Ulaz rubbed Keith’s back and gave him a smile. 

“That's pretty gay, Keith.”

Thace chuckled and said, “Yeah, do you have something you need to tell us?”

“Yeah, I'm gay. Surprise.” Keith said with a laugh. 

Ulaz pretended to be surprised. 

“Really? I never knew…”

Thace gasped and clutched a hand to his chest.

“Not in my good Christian home.” He even did a fake Southern accent.

“I don't think good Christians suck as much dick as you have, Thace.” Ulaz said with a snort. Keith has no response. He's staring at Ulaz while internally screaming. 

Thace however, externally screamed and smacked Ulaz with a throw pillow. Keith laughed and grabbed a separate pillow, hitting Ulaz with it as well.  Ulaz tried blocking both of their hits, but ended up with two pillows to the face.

“Okay, okay! Maybe I shouldn't have made that comment, but we were all thinking it.” 

“ _ I don't think I've ever thought of that in my life, dad. _ ” 

“Yeah, why would we be thinking that in my  _ good Christian house? _ ! Don't listen to him, Keith, it's not true.” Thace glared at his husband and covered Keith’s innocent ears.

Keith laughed as he swatted Thace’s hands away.

“I have every right to believe that's true, pops.” 

Ulaz couldn't contain his laughter. He turned to Thace and playfully nudged him.

“Well, maybe not we, but I know I've been thinking about it.” 

Thace snorted and shoved him back. 

“Stop traumatizing our child! He has enough to talk about in therapy.”

Keith rolled his eyes and snickered.

“I've been traumatized enough, don't kill me.” 

Ulaz shrugged.

“This is the least traumatic thing you could hear about.” 

“Ugh! Why do I put up with you?” Thace groaned and buried his face in his hands.

“It's your fault for saying yes when I proposed.” Ulaz smirked.

“I mean. He's not wrong…” Keith added as he looked at Thace.

“I did it for the tax benefits,” Thace said.

“Of course you did.” Ulaz rolled his eyes. 

“Hey, that's not a bad reason.” Keith teased.

Thace opened the app the Blades used to communicate and saw a list of encrypted addresses Kolivan sent him. 

“So, do you feel like delivering some stuff today?” Thace asked Keith.

Keith shrugged, taking his phone out.

“I kind of assumed that I'd have to, so yeah, I'll deliver some stuff.” 

“Cool, be right back,” Thace said, tapping at his phone to send some of the addresses to Keith. He got up and stretched, his joints creaking as he moved. Then he headed into the bedroom, leaving Ulaz and Keith alone.

Keith glanced over the addresses, then slid his phone in his pocket. He looked over to Ulaz, then leaned his head on his shoulder. 

“I think I'm gonna try to do something with my life, dad.” He said quietly.

Ulaz smiled as he reached out to pat his knee. 

“Whatever you do, your father and I will always be proud of you. You know that. Do you think you'll do the music thing?” 

“Probably. I can't see myself doing literally anything else.” Keith replied.

Thace came back to the living room carrying a backpack, which he held out to Keith. Before Keith could grab it, he moved it out of reach.

“Did you sell the stuff I gave you Sunday?”

Keith reached out for it, then huffed at Thace. 

“Yes. I did.” 

“Then… where's my money?” Thace held out his empty hand.

Keith stayed quiet as he stood up. 

“Uh, at home?” 

Thace sucked his teeth.

“You knew you were coming over, why make an extra trip for yourself? You know I'm not supposed to give you more product until you pay me for the last batch.”

“Ugh, c’mon, Pops. I'll bring it all at once when I'm finished with these, okay? I forgot. I'm sorry.” Keith pouted at Thace, knowing that that face normally worked on him and not Ulaz.

Ulaz raised a brow at Keith, then looked at Thace, hoping he wouldn't fall for it.

“You'll deliver all these orders  _ today  _ and bring everything tomorrow, at the latest,” Thace sighed and handed the bag over, then punched some numbers into the calculator on his phone. He showed the total to Keith. “This amount, got it?” 

Keith looked at the number and nodded as he took the bag. 

“I'll get it back tonight, okay?” He gave Thace a small smile, gave him a one handed hug, then the same to Ulaz.

“I’ll text you guys when I'm on my way back.” 

Ulaz rolled his eyes at Keith, then gave Thace a lopsided smile.

“Don't text and drive.” 

“I know, dad.” 

“Just be super careful today in general, okay? It's not just weed in there this time,” Thace said. He wrung his hands while he looked at Keith. He knew his son was a full member of the Blades now, but he was still his kid and Thace worried.

Keith gave Thace a reassuring smile.

“I'll call you if anything goes wrong, okay? I promise.” He’s had his run in with a few bad deals, but he could handle himself for the most part. 

“You better.” Ulaz gave Keith a stern look, but then softened up with a smile. 

Thace smiled back and ruffled Keith’s hair.

“Ulaz is making dinner tonight, so it'll probably be pretty late when it's ready.”

Keith smiled, then made his way to the door.

“Alright, so then that means you'll be pretty trashed, too.” 

Ulaz snorted and nodded at Keith. 

“Pretty much. Be careful, son.” 

“See you later, kid. Love you,” Thace said. He settled back down on the couch with Ulaz.

“Love you, Keith.” Ulaz said.

Keith smiled then waved as he walked out.

“Love you guys, too.” He shut the door behind him, climbed into his car, threw the backpack in the passenger seat and started to drive off. It was time to work.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're baaaaaack! Chapters will be coming... rapidly.

Later that evening, Shiro and Allura were watching TV at Hunk’s apartment. They were sitting close together, legs touching and Shiro’s arm over the back of the couch behind her. Hunk was in the kitchen, and the whole flat smelled like spices. They both knew better than to get in his way, so they sipped their drinks and stayed in the living room.

“Hunk, that smells amazing,” Shiro said, talking over the cooking show. “What are you making again?”

Right when Allura and Shiro made it to his apartment, Hunk started on dinner. He had a few packs of chicken, noodles, and the ingredients to make homemade alfredo sauce. He had the chicken going while the noodles boiled in the pot.

“Chicken Alfredo. But _spicy_ Chicken Alfredo,” Hunk said as he looked over his shoulder. “I think I might've made it a bit too spicy, though?”

“Maybe you could add more cream?” Allura suggested. “Or more cheese! To balance out the spice.”

Shiro groaned. “I'm going to die. I'm going to eat it, and it's going to be great, but you two are going to have to plan my funeral.”

“Hey, it’s a good way to die, Shiro.” Hunk said with a laugh. “The cream idea is a good one, though. Thanks, Allura!” He hummed as he started working on the sauce again. “Oh, Shiro? How’d your date go?”

Shiro's face flushed at the mention of the date, and Allura raised her eyebrows at him.

“Yeah, how _did_ that date go, Shiro? You wouldn't tell me anything at lunch today.”

“It went well!” Shiro said. “Uh, we went for drinks and then he drove me home.”

“That was it?” Allura asked with a small frown. Shiro had been glowing at work all day, that couldn't be all that happened. She hadn't seen him that relaxed in ages; 

“Well… Okay, he stayed the night.”

“He stayed the night, huh?” Hunk snickered as he stirred the alfredo sauce. “You got some ass, didn't you?”

Shiro buried his face in one of Hunk’s throw pillows.

“Technically, _he_ got some ass.”

“What was that, Shiro?” Allura teased. “You're mumbling, I couldn't understand you.”

Shiro groaned, unwilling to repeat himself.

“What’d he say, Allura? Was I right?” Hunk asked with a laugh.

“Shiro said his date is the one that got some ass,” Allura translated for Hunk. “Is that why you were having trouble walking today?” She asked Shiro.

Shiro threw the pillow at Allura, who caught it and smacked him with it. “I hate you both,” Shiro grumbled.

“You're a _bottom_ , Shiro?! Keith looks like a twink.” Hunk paused. “Not that I've thought about what he’d be. I mean. Ah, shit, I'll shut up now.” As Hunk rambled, Allura was howling with laughter, and Shiro’s face was beet red.  

“Anyway, I also made him breakfast in the morning,” Shiro stammered, desperate to change the subject.

Allura fake gasped.

“Shiro… please tell me you didn't try to cook for this man.”

“You… you cooked for him?” Hunk had to stop and turn around to give Shiro a look. That couldn't have been good.

Shiro crossed his arms and pouted.

“ _Yes_ , I cooked!” Allura groaned and smacked her forehead with her palm, but Shiro just glared at her. “C’mon guys, I can make scrambled eggs. I'm not _that_ hopeless.” Shiro wasn't going to tell them he burned the shit out of the first batch of waffles and set off the fire alarm. Nope.

“Well. If you didn't burn them then maybe he’ll still come back?” Hunk laughed a little too hard as he turned back to the food.

“They turned out okay!” Shiro said defensively.

Allura giggled and nudged Shiro with an elbow.

“Hey, I’m sure he’ll text you back even if they were a little burnt.”

“I still can't believe you're a bottom.” Hunk said as he took the noodles out of the pot and finished up the chicken. “That just blows my mind?”

“I'm not a bottom!” Shiro huffed.

“You're a bottom a lot of the time, Shiro,” Allura pointed out. Shiro frowned at her, and she reached over and pinched his cheek. “You're like, one of those guys who says he's a switch on Grindr but never actually wants to top.”

Shiro swatted her hand away.

“Allura!” He protested as she continued to roast him mercilessly.

“God, I hate those kinds of guys.” Hunk commented from the kitchen. After a few minutes, he had dinner ready and sitting out on the table. “Alright guys, dinner’s finally ready.”

Shiro hoped the food would distract his friends for a while. He sat down at the table and put a generous amount of pasta on his plate.

“Thanks for making dinner, Hunk, this looks great.”

Allura copied Shiro, then she poured a bunch of Parmesan cheese on top of her food. She offered the container to Shiro, who shook his head vigorously.

“Oh, lactose intolerant, I forgot…”

“I'm already going to die,” Shiro said with his mouth full of pasta. He was here for a good time, not a long time. Shiro took another bite right after he swallowed the first, doing a little happy dance in his chair.

Hunk sat down last and grabbed the Parmesan from Allura. He put a generous amount at the bottom, then put pasta on top, and more Parmesan on top. “Shiro, you're always craving death. Please chill.”

Shiro took a sip of his drink, his eyes watering from the spicy sauce.

“Hunk, eating your cooking is the way I want to go.”

“Bitch, me too,” Allura said. “This is amazing, Hunk!”

Hunk snorted at his friend’s comments as he took a bite. He hummed at the taste, then took a sip of his water.

“I mean, I don't think I want to be responsible for both of your murders… that's jail time.”

“Is it really murder if we chose to eat the poison?” Shiro asked.

“Stop giving him ideas!” Allura teased. She took a piece of garlic bread from the basket between them and used it to soak up some of the sauce.

“Yes, because I'm the one that initially cooked the food…” Has Hunk thought about this? Probably. A few times. “Oh, you know, I've been wondering. Do you know what Keith does? His job, I mean.”

“He always pays in cash. Like, _always_. Maybe he's a drug dealer... Or a stripper,” Allura said, only half-joking.

Shiro frowned at her and shrugged his shoulders.

“I dunno what he does,” Shiro admitted.

“You didn't ask?” Hunk raised a brow as he continued eating. “Maybe he really is a stripper and is just too embarrassed to tell you.”

“I asked, but he didn't really answer…” Shiro said. He pushed his pasta around his plate, lost in thought.

“That's kind of sketchy, Shiro,” Allura commented.

“That's not kind of sketchy, that's _really_ sketchy, Shiro.” Hunk frowned at him. “Do you think he'll eventually tell you?”

“I hope so? But this was only the first date, guys, it’s not that deep.” Shiro took a sip of his drink, then gave his friends a sly look. “Besides, we didn't do that much talking last night.”

Allura choked on her pasta and covered her mouth with her napkin. Once she swallowed her food, she started laughing.

Hunk’s jaw dropped as he stared at Shiro. It wasn't long before he was laughing along with Allura.

“Of course you didn't, bottoms don't call the shots.” Will Hunk ever let that go? No, he won't.

Shiro groaned and covered his face with his hand. 

“I regret telling you guys literally anything.”

Allura elbowed Shiro playfully.

“No you don't, we’re your friends! Congrats on the sex.”

“...Thanks,” Shiro said. “Speaking of, where's Lance tonight?”

“Oh, he's not coming until later tonight.” Hunk said as he innocently ate his food. They all know what he's coming for, but he still played innocent.

Allura raised an eyebrow.

“Is that a _pun_ , Hunk?”

Shiro snorted with laughter and it almost made margarita come out of his nose.

“... Maybe…” Hunk didn't intend to make a pun, sometimes they just happen without him thinking. “I didn't mean for it to be a pun but you're not wrong in thinking that.”

“You should invite him to hang out with us next time,” Shiro said.

Allura wrinkled her nose.

“Only if he stops flirting with me.”

“I can't guarantee that.” Hunk said with a snicker. “He thinks you're gorgeous- which, he's not wrong about.”

“True,” Shiro said, which made Allura blush and look away. “It's just an objective fact.”

Shiro’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and his face lit up when he saw that the text was from Keith.

“Mhmm.” Hunk noticed Shiro’s face and leaned on the table a bit. “What're you smiling about, hm?”

“I guess my breakfast wasn't that terrible,” Shiro said triumphantly. Allura leaned over his shoulder to read the text.

“What’s it saaaay?” Hunk leaned across the table to look even though he wouldn't be able to see. He's just nosy.

“He said: ‘Hey, I like hanging out with you a lot, we should get together again soon,’” Shiro said, his face heating up as he read his phone screen out loud.

“Aww! That's really sweet. What are you going to say back?” Allura asked.

“Thanks, you too?” Shiro said, starting to type that in.

“No, you can't say three words to a nice text!” Allura cried, smacking shiro’s hand away from the keyboard. “Hunk, help him out.”

Hunk tapped his chin with his fork, then pointed it at Shiro.

“Say that you feel the same, and that you enjoyed your time together? And maybe ask if he wants to plan another date?”

Shiro smiled and deleted what he had written to start over.

 **T.Shiro:** Hey I really enjoyed our time together too! When are you free this week?

 **K.Kogane:** I'm free whenever. just tell me and I'll make time for you.

Hunk raised a brow.

“Did he text back?”

“Yeah,” Shiro said happily. He set his phone down and went back to his dinner. They could make plans later.

Hunk smiled. He was glad that Shiro was happy after all that had happened.

“You should take him out for dinner.”

“That's probably a good idea, neither of us can cook like you do,” Shiro replied.

“See, I’d offer to cook, but then I'd be some weird third wheel and that's awkward.” Hunk said with a laugh.

“What if Lance was there too?” Allura suggested. “Then it would be a double date.”

“I don't know if Keith is ready to meet Lance,” Shiro teased. “He might scare him off.”

Hunk shrugged.

“I dunno, maybe it could go well. Lance isn't that bad, you know.” He pouted a bit at Shiro.

“He can be a little intense,” Shiro said.

“Yeah, he is kinda… extra,” Allura chimed in.

“Well… yeah. But I like how extra he is. It's kind of charming?” Was that the word? Probably not. Hunk just knew that he really liked Lance.

“You two are cute together,” Allura said. She liked seeing her best friends so happy.

“So maybe on the double date?” Hunk asked.

“Yeah, I'll get back to you on that,” Shiro said. “Let’s see if the second date goes well.”

“Are you gonna let him bang you after every date?” Hunk teased.

Shiro shrugged and said, “I dunno, I'm not opposed. 

“Too much information, Shiro,” Allura said.

Shiro smiled apologetically and pulled out his phone to text Keith back. He decided to pick a date a few days from now, he didn't want to seem desperate. Plus, he was still feeling sore from last night.

 **T.Shiro** : What are you doing Thursday night?

 **K.Kogane:** I was hoping you, but we can make other plans if you want. Got an idea?

 **T.Shiro:** How about I buy you dinner first?

Shiro was blushing, which made Allura peek at his phone screen again. She cackled at Shiro’s response to Keith’s joke.

“What, what’d they say?” Hunk was now getting up to stand behind Shiro and Allura. He had to see.

 **K.Kogane:** Sounds good to me. I gotta pick you up, right?

 **T.Shiro** : Yes please. I get off at 6, you can pick the place. ;)

Allura frowned at Shiro.

“A winky face? Really?”

“It seemed appropriate!” Shiro said, scratching the back of his head. Now he was second-guessing himself, and he bit his lip as he waited nervously for the reply.

 **K.Kogane:** Ok.

Keith didn't say anything else for about a minute.

 **K.Kogane:** (:

 **K.Kogane:** You’ll be getting off at around 6 too, probably.

Allura bursted out laughing at Keith’s reply. She had to wipe her eyes with a napkin because tears were streaming down her face.

“Oh my god, he's almost as big of a dork as you are, Shiro.”

Hunk laughed along with Allura as he held onto the chair.

“He’s a keeper. Keep him. Please.”

Shiro rolled his eyes at his friends, but he was laughing too.

“Okay, but how do I respond to this?”

“I'm not going to tell you how to sext your boyfriend,” Allura said.

“He's not my boyfriend,” Shiro protested.

“Yeah, that's on you, Shiro. We're close but I don't think we should be helping you sext.” Hunk said as he gave a shrug.

“Stop breathing down my neck if you're not going to help,” Shiro teased, shooing Hunk away from his chair. He drummed his fingers on the table before he came up with a reply.

 **T.Shiro** : Maybe next time the roles could be reversed.

Shiro set his phone face down, but Allura caught a glimpse of the message before Shiro sent it.

“Ooh, that's bold. Do you know if he'd be into that?”

“Uh, no,” Shiro said, frowning down at his plate. Maybe he shouldn't have sent that.

Hunk was still hovering over Shiro’s shoulders. He approved of the reply.

“He has to be. You know how you can just sense if someone's a top or a bottom? It's like a seventh gay sense.”

 **K.Kogane:** Yeah? I'd like to see that.

Shiro ignored his phone buzzing and glared at Hunk over his shoulder.

“Hunk, you were literally just freaking out because you were shocked that I would bottom.”

Allura giggled and reached for the phone, but Shiro threatened her with his fork and she withdrew her hand. 

As Shiro was distracted by threatening Allura, Hunk quickly swiped up his phone to look at the text.

“HA! He’s into it!” Hunk snickered as he started to walk backward with his phone. This was too good.

Shiro stood up to try and wrestle the phone back from Hunk. 

“Hunk, I swear to God,” Shiro huffed. He punched Hunk’s arm with his prosthetic. 

Hunk held the phone well above his head. He had some height advantage on him, so it was pretty easy.

“Ow! C’mon, that thing kinda hurts!” Hunk groaned as he tossed the phone to Allura. “Send a reply!”

Allura caught the phone and unlocked it. It was Shiro’s fault for giving them his passcode, really.

 **T.Shiro:** I'm looking forward to it baby

Shiro snatched the phone back and groaned as the message went through. 

“Baby? Allura, why are you trying to sabotage me?”

 **T.Shiro** : ugh sorry my shithead friends stole my phone and sent that

“Baby is good! I don't know why you're freaking out, man!” Hunk laughed, proud of Allura’s message.

 **K.Kogane:** That sucks, I kinda liked the baby thing.

Shiro sputtered and showed the screen to Allura, his face red with embarrassment.

“See? I helped you, and then you backtracked,” Allura said.

Shiro sighed dramatically and flopped down on Hunk’s couch.

“You two are the worst.”

 **T.Shiro** : Yeah? I can call you that if you want.

Hunk rolled his eyes as he started to clean up the kitchen.

“You should take our forceful advice sometimes, Shiro.”

 **K.Kogane:** Do it. I'm into it.

Allura rushed into the kitchen and swatted Hunk’s hands away from the dishes.

“You cooked! Let me clean up.”

Shiro followed her into the kitchen. “Hey, I wanna help.”

Allura considered telling Shiro not to worry about it, but she realized how being told he couldn't do things anymore took a toll on Shiro’s self-esteem.

“Could you grab the dishes off the table?”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Hunk groaned. He hated when they insisted that they clean. He liked to clean his own space.

“Ugh, why do you two always do this?”

“Because we’re good friends and we love you?” Allura said.

“And we appreciate you!” Shiro called out from the dining room.

“Yeah but.” Hunk pouted as he stood back. “Fine, fine. I'll let you guys clean up, as always.” He smiled as he made his way to the couch, then pulled his phone out to send Lance a text.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Thursday evening, Shiro was low key freaking out as his shift came to an end. He poked his head into the hallway.

“Hey, could one or both of you come help me with something?” 

Allura leaned against the doorframe of her station. 

“Sure,” she replied, following Shiro into his private room. 

Shiro opened up his backpack and held up a black button-up shirt. He pulled it on over his tank top. 

“So, I need to tuck the undershirt into my pants, and… do the buttons.”

“And you need help with the buttons?” Allura guessed as Shiro started shoving the shirt into his faded jeans.

“Exactly.”

Hunk had overheard Shiro and Allura talking, so he decided to see what was going on. He let himself into Shiro’s area without announcing his presence, and smiled. 

“Getting ready for the date, huh?”

“Yeah,” Shiro said. “Does my hair look okay?” 

Allura stopped buttoning Shiro’s shirt for a moment to ruffle his hair. Shiro pouted and tried to fix it back the way it was with his fingers.

“Hold on.” Hunk helped Shiro fix his hair as Allura went back to buttoning his shirt. “There. I mean, there isn't much to fix but it looks normal.” Hunk paused.

“Are you nervous?” He asked.

“I'm always nervous,” Shiro teased. Allura laughed at that and smoothed the wrinkles out of Shiro’s shirt. She left the top two buttons undone. 

“Big mood, Shiro.” Hunk said.

“Is there anything else we can help you with?” Allura said.

“Yeah, there's a belt in my bag I was going to try to put on…” 

“Shiro, how are you going to get this stuff off later?”

“I'm hoping I'll have help? If not, I have scissors at home.” Shiro turned it into a joke, but he was also worried about the fact that getting a belt off one-handed wasn't a trick he perfected yet.

Hunk grabbed the belt out of his bag and shooed Allura out of the way.

“He's definitely getting laid tonight, I'm sure he won't need the scissors.” Hunk teased as he slipped the belt through the loops on Shiro’s pants. 

Shiro zipped up his bag after he was finally dressed. 

“Thanks for the help, guys.” Shiro glanced at his phone and took a deep breath to ground himself. “Okay, he's here. See you tomorrow.”

Allura gave Shiro a hug, which he returned. 

“Have fun!”

Hunk patted Shiro on the back as he left, and gave him a big smile.

Outside was Keith in his car, dressed in a navy blue button down with red polka dots and khakis. His hair was pulled back into a small ponytail and he even used some of Thace’s cologne. He cleaned the car out a bit and made it smell… better. There was less weed smell but still some of the cigarette smell lingering around. He unlocked the car as Shiro stepped out, and smiled a little harder than he should have. 

Shiro smiled and waved when he spotted Keith. He climbed into the passenger seat and noticed that the fast food bags on the floor were gone and the car smelled better. Shiro looked Keith up and down. 

“Hey, you look nice,” Shiro said.

Keith smiled sheepishly as he looked over Shiro.

“Thanks, you do, too.” After sitting there for a second, Keith pulled off and headed toward the restaurant they agreed to go to. “So uh, how was work?” Making small talk wasn't really his thing, but he liked talking with Shiro, so he thought he should at least make an effort.

“It was… kind of a rough day. I had this customer who's consultation took like two hours. He kept tweaking the design and changing his mind… and then he was super nervous when I pulled the needles out. It took forever for him to let me give him the tattoo, but paid for the whole time and left a really nice tip.”

“Jeez. At least you got good money out of it.” Keith quickly glanced over at Shiro, then put his attention back on the road. He then let out a sigh. “I'm really glad we're hanging out. I've been doing a lot of running around for the past two days so… I think I needed this.” 

“Yeah, me too,” Shiro said. He was so distracted by Keith that he barely felt his anxiety over being on the road. “It's been weird, being back at work this week. It's definitely been a good thing for me, but I'm glad I have tomorrow off.”

“That's good, then.” Keith glanced at Shiro and smiled as they finally pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. He chose to go to a Chinese place since he hadn't had it in a while. After parking, he unbuckled his seatbelt and looked over at Shiro. “You ready?” 

Shiro followed Keith inside the restaurant. It was a sit-down Chinese place, and Shiro was used to getting this kind of food as takeout. There were few other customers, and the lone waiter wiping down a table told them to sit wherever they wanted.

As they sat down at one of the booths, Keith checked his phone to send a text to his fathers, then slid it into his back pocket. He won't be needing that for a while. The waiter came over to give them their menus, then walked off. Keith opened the menu, then looked back up to Shiro. God, he was gorgeous. He was probably staring. 

Shiro read the menu and wrinkled his nose at some of the weird Americanized stuff on the menu. French fries and chicken wings? That just seemed wrong. “What are you going to get?” Shiro asked.

Keith snapped out of whatever trance he was in and quickly looked over the menu.

“Uhh, idunno? I like the sweet and sour stuff.” He read over some of the other options before looking up again. “Did you find anything?”

“Yeah, I'm probably going to get the pork fried rice,” Shiro said. He tried so hard not to mess those words up, that he stuttered a little.

“That sounds pretty good.” Keith closed the menu after deciding on what he wanted, then rested his arms on the table. “You okay?” 

“Mhm, why?” Shiro asked, leaning his chin on his hand. 

“I dunno, you kinda looked like you were struggling for a second.” Keith gave him a small smile. He felt pretty comfortable around Shiro already, which he found surprising. 

“English is hard, and I didn't want to sound like a fool in front of a cute guy,” Shiro said. The waiter came by and the two of them ordered.

“Oh, right.” Keith laughed a little at the compliment. “I think you're doing fine, though.” He shrugged, then tapped his fingers on the table a bit. 

“Thanks,” Shiro said, feeling relieved. “Um, I know you don't like to talk about work, but how was the rest of your week?” 

“It was fine.” Keith felt kinda bad for not talking about what he did for a living, but he didn't want to scare Shiro off. “I hung out with my dads a lot this week.” 

Shiro nodded along politely, but then something clicked. 

“Wait, ‘dads’?” Shiro asked.

“Oh, yeah, I have two fathers.” Keith smiled when he talked about them. 

Shiro beamed.

“What's that like? Just yell at me if I'm being rude, but that kind of thing doesn't really happen that often where I'm from.”

“Eh, I don't think it's rude?” Keith shifted in his seat a little. “I mean, my family is kind of… different from most families. Not even because I have two dads, it's uh… Different. Idunno how else to describe it.” 

Shiro tilted his head. Keith had created more questions than he answered. 

“Do you have any siblings? I have a little brother who's about your age.”

“Nope, no siblings. It's just me and my Dad and Pops. That's cool that you have a brother, though. I've always wanted a sibling, but I knew it wasn't going to happen.” Keith shrugged.

“So… you're adopted?” Shiro worried about pushing too hard for information, but he was curious about Keith’s life and unsure of which topics were off-limits. 

“Yeah, I'm adopted.” Keith gave a half smile at that. He didn't mind talking about it, but it was still sort of a sensitive topic. 

The waiter came by and brought their food, and the two lapsed into silence as they ate. Shiro was glad that Keith opened up a little, but there were still so many red flags. The most troubling mystery was what Keith did for a living.

Keith had finished about half of his plate before asking for a box. The place gave them so much food that it seemed impossible to finish in one sitting. 

“I’m pretty damn full…” 

Shiro finished less of his plate than Keith did, and he spooned most of his leftovers unceremoniously into a styrofoam box. 

“Me too. This was pretty good.” When the waiter came by with the check, Shiro handed him his credit card.

Once Keith had his food in the box, he leaned his chin on his hand.

“Thanks for taking me out, Shiro.” He gave him a small smile, keeping his eyes locked on Shiro’s.

Shiro was surprised by the eye contact, Keith seemed to avoid it as much as possible. Shiro grinned back and took Keith’s hand as they walked to his car, balancing his takeout box on his prosthetic.

“You're more than welcome. This was nice.”

Keith decided to take Shiro's box for him so he wouldn't risk dropping it. His palm was a bit sweaty, and hoped that Shiro didn't notice. 

“Yeah, it was.” As they approached Keith’s car, he squeezed Shiro’s hand before letting go. “Do you uh, wanna come back to my apartment or should I just take you home?” He was hoping Shiro would stay the night with him. He...sort of cleaned for this. 

“I’d like to see your place,” Shiro replied as they climbed into the car. 

“Well, it’s nothing too impressive, I'll tell you that.” Keith laughed as he sat their food in the back seat, then started toward his apartment. 

As they arrived, Keith pulled into a fairly decent looking complex. The apartments had little porches and there was a playground area for kids. He grabbed their food from the back then turned to Shiro. 

“Ready?”

Shiro let out a low whistle as he saw the fresh paint jobs on the building and the little balconies. 

“This is a nice complex,” he commented as he followed Keith up the stairs.

Keith lived on the third floor, and Shiro followed him up the stairs while carrying their takeout boxes. He fumbled with his keys for a second before opening the door. Upon entering, there were a few shelves with bongs displayed on them. They all had different colors and slightly different shapes. The apartment itself was cleaner than normal. There were still a few things scattered around, but for the most part, it was cleaned up. 

After setting their food in the fridge, Keith kicked his shoes off and rolled his sleeves up. 

“Well, this is where I live.” 

The first thing Shiro did when he got inside was take his shoes off and set them by the door along with his backpack. The shelf full of bongs and pipes caught Shiro’s eye, and he stood in front of it admiring the pieces while Keith went into the kitchen. A lot of them were blown glass, and Shiro thought they were beautiful. It really was art, in a way.

“So… You really do smoke a lot, huh?”

“Oh, yeah.” Keith rubbed the back of his head. “That's not a problem, is it?” 

Shiro turned towards Keith, laughing at his meek expression. 

“Nah. I went to art school, remember?”

“What, is that an art school aesthetic or something?” Keith asked with a quiet laugh. 

“Oh yeah, there were a lot of drugs. I've calmed down a little in my old age.”

“Your old age, huh?” Keith smirked. “You're still young. So I'm guessing the last time you did anything ‘wild’ was when you were in college?”

“Depends on your definition of wild,” Shiro said with a wink.

“My definition of wild is probably pretty dangerous, but smoking a bowl with me wouldn't be too bad, would it?” Keith took a small step toward Shiro as he spoke. 

“I think I could handle that… If you pick the bowl. There's too many options,” Shiro said, glancing at the shelf again.

Keith snorted quietly as he went over to the shelf and grabbed his favorite bowl. It was dark blue, a bit smaller than the others and shaped like a hippo. He went back over to Shiro and showed it to him. 

“We can use my favorite one.” 

“Hippos, huh? It's cute,” Shiro said. “Where do you want to do this?”

“I usually smoke in my bedroom so…” Keith took Shiro’s hand and led him into his bedroom, flipped the switch, and felt his stomach twist. 

He forgot to hide his huge, gray, plush hippo. 

“God. Dammit.” 

Shiro grinned at the giant plushie.

“Aw, that's cute. You really like hippos, huh?”

Keith grumbled as he picked up his plush, rightfully named Patricia, and sat it down by the closet. 

“Yeah. They're my favorite animal.” 

Shiro sat down on the bed. 

“Can I ask why?” 

“Idunno, I just think they're cute… but also amazing because they could kill you.” He laughed quietly as he dug around in his dresser. He's on the hunt for the weed.

Shiro laughed at Keith’s response. 

“I could say the same about you.”

Keith looked over at Shiro and stuck his tongue out. 

“I mean, you aren't wrong, though.” At first, he almost pulled the entire bag of substance out, but decided to just unravel it and take out a small amount. He sat down on the bed next to Shiro, then took out the bowl. “So uh, this is kind of a two handed job so I'll help you, okay?” 

“Thanks. Yeah, the prosthetic is good at grabbing things, but I'm afraid I would break your hippo,” Shiro said. 

“Please don't break my hippo. My uncle got it for me.” Keith reached over to grab his lighter from the nightstand, then packed the weed into the bowl. He pressed the opening to his lips, flicked the lighter, and guided the flame to the plant. He inhaled, tapped the side with the opening, then blew out the smoke. Keith repeated the process one more time, then handed the bowl to Shiro. “I'll light it for you.” 

Shiro leaned towards Keith, putting his weight on his prosthetic arm. He took the bowl and pressed the opening to his lips and waited for Keith to light it for him. When he did, he pulled away and took a drag, and he immediately coughed as the smoke burned his esophagus. He laughed at the cloud of smoke that came from his lips as the coughing fit continued. He passed it back after only one hit, Shiro didn't know what strain this was or how it would effect him, especially mixed with his medication. Plus, he was embarrassed about coughing so much.

Once Shiro was finished with his hit, he took the bowl and took another for himself. He blew the smoke out, then leaned back on the pillows. 

“Why only one hit?” He asked with a raised brow. 

“I wanted to pace myself, it's been a long time since I've smoked,” Shiro replied as he settled down next to Keith. His bed was bigger than the one at Shiro’s apartment, and the mattress didn't dig into his back the way the one at home did. He let out a contented sigh and shut his eyes as he began to feel a slight buzz.

“Makes sense.” Keith glanced over to Shiro before shifting closer so their shoulders were touching. “It… doesn't take me long to get high so uh…” He laughed a little as he tossed the lighter in his hand. 

Shiro hummed and rested his head on Keith’s shoulder. 

“I guess I should catch up then.”

“Only if you wanna. Try taking two hits this time.” Keith handed the bowl back to Shiro. 

Shiro sat up straighter and turned towards Keith so he could light the bowl, then he turned his head so he wouldn't blow the smoke in Keith’s face. He didn't cough as much the second time, and by the next the burn was familiar, like an old friend. He felt lightheaded after the third hit.

The entire room was now circulating the smell, which was probably a bad thing considering Keith lived in an apartment. He got up to open the windows in his room, then sat down with Shiro again. 

“You look like you're starting to feel it a bit.”

Shiro’s eyes were red and half-lidded.

“Yeah, you too,” he replied, his voice raspy.

“Pretty much.” Keith took the bowl back, took two more hits, but hesitated giving it back to Shiro. The last hit he took was particularly strong, probably because he held it in for too long. He turned away to cough into his elbow, then cleared his throat. “Jesus, shit.”

“You okay?” Shiro asked, leaning forward to rub Keith’s back.

Keith leaned into Shiro’s touch as he nodded.

“Yeah, I think I'm good for now.” He offered the bowl to Shiro again. 

There wasn't much weed left in the bowl, and Shiro figured he might as well finish it off. He took two more hits with Keith’s help, grimacing because the last one tasted like ash. Once he finished coughing, he set the bowl down on the nightstand.

“Yeah, ‘m good for the night,” Shiro wheezed.

Once Shiro put the bowl down, Keith rested his head on Shiro’s shoulder. His eyes closed for a few moments before humming and smiling. He felt loose, carefree, and relaxed. 

“You know, I'm surprised that my lungs still work.” Keith said with a quiet laugh. 

“I'm surprised too,” Shiro said, carding his fingers through Keith’s bangs to push them out of his face. As they cuddled and the drugs took effect Shiro felt hot, like his clothes were constricting his breathing. He stopped touching Keith to claw at the buttons on his shirt.

When Keith felt Shiro move away, his eyes shot open. He noticed Shiro struggling with his shirt.

“It  _ is _ kind of hot, isn't it? Need some help?” He asked as he reached out for Shiro’s shirt buttons.

“Please,” Shiro gasped, his breaths coming too quickly. He pulled the prosthetic off and let it fall off the bed to the floor.

Keith blink as Shiro’s prosthetic fell to the floor, but shrugged it off as he helped him get his shirt unbuttoned. Afterward, he decided to take his off and tossed it onto the floor. 

“Is that better?”

Shiro removed his shirt and undershirt, then he fumbled with his belt. Everything was too tight, and it needed to come off now. He nodded at Keith, eventually remembering that he had asked a question. 

“Yeah, thanks.”

Keith smiled as he too, took his undershirt and belt off. 

“I'm gonna turn the ceiling fan on.” He then stood up on the bed, grabbed the cord to the fan, yanked it twice, then sat back down on the bed with a thud. 

Shiro slowly blinked up at the ceiling, mesmerized by the whirling fan blades. He didn't react when Keith flopped back down next to him.

Keith’s brows furrowed as he followed Shiro’s gaze. He found himself following the blades for a second before cuddling up to Shiro. He hooked his leg around and scooted down so his head was resting on Shiro’s chest. 

That got Shiro’s attention. He looked down at Keith with a wide smile, then he went back to playing with Keith's hair. The black strands were soft and moved smoothly between his fingers. Shiro removed the hair tie, and it became lost in the sheets.

Keith hummed at the feeling of Shiro’s fingers in his hair. He always loved that feeling- like a cat being scratched. He looked up at Shiro with a lazy smile before leaning up to press soft kisses to his jawline. 

“I'm glad you came over.”

Shiro sighed happily, and his fingers were still tangled in Keith’s hair. 

“I'm glad too… I haven't felt this relaxed since I was on all those pain pills. Which wasn't that long ago, but still.”

“This is better than pills. They just fuck with you, you know?” Keith shifted so he was sprawled on top of Shiro with his arms wrapped around his torso. The mention of pills didn't sit well with him, but he didn't let it show. 

“Yeah, I was nauseous for weeks,” Shiro sighed. He wrapped his arm around Keith and nuzzled into his hair. 

“Ew. That sucks.” Keith let his eyes close, but then blew a raspberry on Shiro’s chest and started to giggle. “Pfftt-” 

Shiro started laughing and squirming underneath Keith. 

“Hey, that tickles!”

Keith blew another raspberry and laughed again. 

“It makes a funny noise. And your laugh is cute.” 

“You're cute,” Shiro said. He smiled down at him and flicked his nose.

“I'm not cute. We both can't be cute.” He stuck his tongue out at him, then moved up to lick Shiro’s nose.

Shiro sputtered and wiped his face. He glared up at Keith, then leaned forward to catch one of Keith’s earlobes with his teeth as revenge, careful not to pull on his piercings.

Keith whined and pulled back some to look straight down at Shiro. 

“Why are you like this?” He asked with a snort.

“Hey, you started it,” Shiro huffed.

“Yeah, but.” Keith pouted. He didn't have a good retort. Instead, he quickly pecked his lips. 

When Keith moved to pull away, Shiro’s hand on the back of his neck pulled him back down for a longer kiss.

Keith hummed into the kiss as he deepened it. His hands cupped both of his cheeks as he bit down on his lip, pulled back, then let go. 

Shiro made a noise that wasn't unlike a growl when Keith bit him. He returned the favor when Keith let go, biting and sucking on his bottom lip. When he pulled away, he attacked Keith’s neck, wanting to leave marks. The drugs made Shiro feel over sensitive, his nerves were on fire everywhere Keith touched him. 

Keith held Shiro’s head close to his neck as he closed his eyes. One hand held onto his hip as he rolled over onto his back, taking Shiro with him. 

Shiro continued to leave love bites on Keith’s neck and jawline, unphased by the change in position. In fact, this was exactly where he wanted to be right now. One of Shiro’s thighs was pressed between Keith’s legs and he propped himself up on his elbows.

Keith tilted his head back to allow Shiro more room. He let out breathy moans at the bites as his hips bucked forward. He didn't know that he needed Shiro on top of him like this until now. 

Shiro moved down, trailing kisses along Keith’s collarbones and stopping at his chest. He took one nipple into his mouth and rolled the other between his fingers.

Keith sighed as he played with Shiro’s hair. Everything seemed more sensitive now. He gasped before speaking. 

“Bite it, Shiro…” 

Shiro scraped his teeth against the sensitive skin, careful not to injure Keith. He bit down lightly, then shifted to give the same treatment to the other side.

A quiet moan filled Keith’s throat, the slight pain shooting shivers down his spine. He gently scraped his nails along Shiro’s shoulders at first, then did it harder the second time. 

Shiro’s erection twitched at the sting from Keith’s nails. He kissed his way back up Keith’s torso and paid special attention to the scar on his shoulder, licking up the stripe on his skin.

Keith shifted his head to the side to allow Shiro more room. His hands trailed along Shiro’s sides with one hand gently going over the scars on the right of his body. He could slowly feel his pants getting tighter and becoming harder to bear. He had to have them off soon.

Shiro pulled away from Keith’s neck with a wet sound and looked at his expression. 

“What do you want to do, baby?” Shiro asked, out of breath like he'd run a mile.

As Shiro pulled back, Keith ran his hands over his shoulders, then gently tapped over what was left of his right arm. He smiled up at Shiro with red, lidded eyes, then leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. 

“I want  _ you _ , and whatever  _ you _ want to do with me.”

Shiro leaned into the kiss and prolonged it, settling back down on top of Keith. He shifted so he was lying between his legs. 

“I want to take you, just like this. Wanna see your face,” Shiro whispered into Keith’s ear, then turned his head to press a kiss to Keith’s temple.

This was unlike anything Keith was used to. He didn't normally have such intimate sex, but with Shiro, it was different. As Shiro pressed a kiss to his temple, he cupped his face to press their lips together again.

“Please.” He kissed him again. “ _ Please _ , fuck me like this.” 

Shiro smiled into the kiss and rubbed their noses together when they took a break to catch their breaths. He propped himself up on the stump of his arm and reached down to unbutton Keith’s pants. He laughed as he struggled with it, but he got it done before Keith could help him.

Once Shiro got the pants unbuttoned, Keith sat up to help him get them off. 

“You're a determined little shit, you know that?” Keith teased with a smile. 

Shiro nodded and said, “Hey, that's how I got this far.” He worked on taking his own pants off next.

“I'm glad. I like that.” Keith took it upon himself to get his boxers off and threw them somewhere on the floor. “Also… please use baby more. I'm serious.” He said with a sheepish smile. 

Shiro copied Keith and let his pants and boxers join the pile on the floor.

“Whatever you want, baby,” he said, grinning back at Keith as he leaned in to resume kissing him.

Keith grinned as their lips locked. He pulled Shiro back on top of him and wrapped his legs around his hips. His hands rested on his shoulders to keep their bodies pressed together as a low hum filled Keith’s throat.

Shiro propped himself on his right arm so he could reach between them and take both cocks into his hand. He groaned into the kiss as he started moving his hand up and down lazily.

Keith deepened the kiss as his tongue trailed along Shiro’s lower lip. He sighed at the feeling of their cocks being pumped together, and resisted the urge to move his hips too much. 

Shiro opened his mouth wider and let Keith stick his tongue in his mouth. He could feel the small movements Keith tried to suppress and it egged him on, making him tighten his grip and quicken his pace.

Keith moaned as their tongues lapped together and Shiro’s hand quickened. His heart was pounding, feeling as if it would burst out at any moment. He eventually started to drag his nails down Shiro’s back, which will definitely leave marks.

Shiro groaned and arched his back into Keith's touch. His hand slowed, he didn't want to finish too soon. He broke the kiss and pressed his lips to Keith’s jaw.

“Want to get ready for me, baby?” Shiro breathed the question into the soft skin beneath Keith’s ear, his nose buried in the halo of black hair on the pillow.

Keith whined when Shiro pulled away, but he grew excited at his words. 

“Mhm… you wanna watch me?” He asked with a teasing smirk. 

Shiro bit his lip and nodded, then moved back to kneel between Keith’s legs. He admired the view and smirked at Keith. 

“Better idea… Do you have any paper?”

Keith raised a brow as he sat up. 

“Uhh, I have some empty journals?” He looked toward his closet, then back to Shiro. “Why?”

“You look beautiful right now,” Shiro said simply. “I want to draw you.”

Keith covered his face as he felt his cheeks burn. Without another word, he went to his closet, opened a chest of items, and pulled out an empty notebook and a pen. He handed it to Shiro, then climbed back onto the bed. 

“That's what I've got.” 

Shiro shifted so he was sitting with his legs crossed and set the book on one of his thighs. He flipped the book open and started sketching, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration.

Keith stared at Shiro for a second before reaching over to take lube and a condom out of the nightstand. He sat it next to himself, then peered over at his sketches. 

Shiro had a few life-sized sketches of Keith’s penis on the paper. He blushed and covered the paper when he caught Keith staring. 

“I'm not done yet!”

“Why are you drawing my god damn dick?” Keith asked with a snort. That reminded him of middle school and how annoying it was to see dicks drawn on desks. “I mean… it looks good but that's… that's my dick…” 

“It has a nice shape!” Shiro said defensively. “Every part of you is beautiful, okay?”

Keith laid back against the pillows. 

“Shut up. First my eyes are red, now my face is probably redder.” He said, crossing his arms with a fake pout.

“Mhm… But there's nothing to be embarrassed about. You look great,” Shiro said, licking his lips as he glanced up at Keith then down at his drawings to compare notes.

“Oh my fucking  _ god _ .” Keith sat with his legs spread. “Got a better view, now?” He asked with a snicker.

It was Shiro’s turn to blush. He nodded and turned the page to start on a new sketch.

Keith noticed that Shiro started a new page, then got an idea. He grabbed the lube, sat up on his knees, then squeezed a nice amount on his fingers. He reached around to press a finger to his entrance, then slowly teased it inside of himself. His body tensed for a second, but slowly relaxed as he let out a soft moan. 

Shiro smirked and flipped the page when Keith changed positions again, but he got distracted by the show Keith was putting on in front of him. When he remembered how to breathe, his pen started moving again, even as he continued to keep his eyes on Keith.

Keith slowly moved his finger as he bit his lip. He kept his eyes on Shiro as more moans filled his throat. Soon, he inserted another finger as he gaze went up and down Shiro’s body. He couldn't wait to have that thick cock inside of him. 

Shiro felt Keith’s eyes roaming his naked body, but he didn't feel shy about it in that moment. He glanced down at his drawing and his pen scratched across the lined paper as he cleaned up the sketch. He signed the corner in kanji and scribbled something across the top of the page. 

As Shiro continued to draw, Keith had worked himself up to three fingers. He decided that that was enough and pulled out, then glanced over at Shiro again.

“Are you… done?”

Shiro looked down at the sketch, suddenly nervous about showing it to Keith. 

“With this one? Yeah, I guess.” 

“Can I see it?” He asked as he crawled over to Shiro. 

Shiro moved his hand to uncover the page. It was a messy drawing of Keith fingering himself, four of his fingers disappearing inside of him with his thumb poised to join the rest. Lube was dripping down Keith’s hand and creating wet spots on the sheets. Shiro’s favorite part of the drawing was the face. Keith’s eyes were closed and his eyebrows were furrowed in deep concentration. The caption at the top read “patience yields focus,” written in Shiro’s messy cursive. Shiro blushed as Keith examined the drawing, and he looked away.

Keith couldn't believe what he was looking at, but it was fascinating. He never thought he’d see a drawing of him like this, and now that he had, it gave him a bit of confidence. He slowly ran his hand down Shiro’s chest, then rested his chin on his shoulder. 

“I like it. Even though it's me, it's kinda hot.” 

“Not as hot as the original,” Shiro said, turning his head to kiss Keith’s cheek. “I could never do you justice.”

Keith laughed as Shiro kissed his cheek. 

“Idunno, I think you captured me pretty well.” He said as he trailed kisses up Shiro’s neck.

“Thanks,” Shiro sighed as he closed the journal and turned towards Keith. He tilted his head back to give him better access.

Keith continued to press kisses to Shiro’s neck. He started to nibble and suck at the skin to leave larger marks as his hand trailed down to Shiro’s inner thigh. 

“That's good, baby,” Shiro sighed, his fingers in Keith's hair with a firm grip. “I like it when you leave marks.”

“Mm, do you?” He asked with a smirk. Keith continued to leave marks on Shiro’s neck and now his chest. His hand ghosted over Shiro’s cock as he felt all around his body.

Shiro bucked his hips towards Keith’s hand. 

“Please…”  

Keith shifted so he was between Shiro’s legs. He grabbed the condom and sat it beside him. Slowly, his hand started to pump Shiro’s cock.

Shiro wrapped his arm around Keith and moaned into his shoulder. He kissed every inch of skin that he could reach.

As Keith continued to stroke Shiro, he squeezed his cock just a little and picked up the pace. He suddenly stopped, pulled his hand back, then grabbed the condom. He wiggled away from Shiro’s hold to open it, tossed the wrapper onto the floor, then carefully started to slide the condom onto his cock.

Shiro’s breath hitched and he leaned against Keith as he did this, looking down between them to watch his hands. 

“Thanks,” he murmured between the kisses he pressed over the bruises he left on Keith’s neck earlier.

Keith smiled and turned Shiro's head to press a kiss to his lips. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and held him close as he pulled Shiro down with him, giggling the entire time. 

Shiro let Keith pull him down on top of him. 

“What's so funny?” Shiro asked, but he was laughing along with him.

“Nothing, I’m just...happy, y’know?” Keith said as he kissed Shiro.

Shiro kissed back enthusiastically, his hand in Keith’s hair. He was so into their makeout session that he forgot about sticking it in.

Keith hummed as they kissed, but remembered what they were really supposed to do. He pulled back to look up at Shiro.

“Hey…hey. I've been waiting all week for this, Shiro.”

“Yeah? Me too, I like spending time with you.” Shiro was clueless, his hair disheveled and his lips swollen from kissing as he grinned down at Keith.

Keith pouted at Shiro. God dammit.

“Ugh, Shiro, just stick it in my butt already.”

Shiro giggled and buried his head in Keith’s shoulder.

“Why did you have to say it like that?” He uncapped the lube with Keith’s help and slicked himself up. 

Keith laughed along with Shiro. He honestly didn't know why he said it like that, but it sounded funny at the moment. When their laughter died down, he let Shiro reposition and slowly slide into him.

Shiro sighed and pressed their foreheads together as he bottomed out and gave Keith time to adjust. Keith gripped onto his shoulders, his nails digging into Shiro’s skin. Keith breathed heavily and groaned as he gazed up into his eyes.

Shiro’s hand moved up to rest on Keith’s chest, and he swore he could feel the younger man’s pounding heart beneath his palm. 

“Feeling good?” Shiro asked, pushing himself up to look at his face.

Keith nodded at Shiro and hummed before leaning forward to kiss his lips. 

“Yeah, I'm feeling  _ real _ good…” He glanced down at Shiro’s hand and laughed a little. “Can you feel my heart?” 

“Yeah, god, you feel amazing, baby,” Shiro said breathlessly as he rolled his hips. He maintained a gentle pace, their thighs touching every time he pushed in slow and deep. Shiro shifted to prop himself up on his elbows so Keith wouldn't have to bear his full weight. Shiro moaned into their kisses, he was being almost as loud as Keith this time around, his inhibitions lowered. 

Keith wrapped his legs around Shiro’s hips as he thrust into him. His moans were scattered and cut off due to Shiro's kisses, but he wasn't complaining at all. He pulled back to catch his breath, then spoke.

“Fuck, go harder, please.” 

Shiro obliged, and soon the headboard hit the wall rhythmically in time with Shiro’s thrusts. Shiro’s harsh breathing into the crook of Keith’s neck joined the percussion. His teeth grazed the junction where his neck met his shoulder, and he bit down.

Keith let out a long, drawn out moan at the feeling of Shiro’s teeth sinking into his skin. He dragged his nails down Shiro’s back, surely leaving red marks on his skin. 

“God, I love that.” 

Shiro groaned and his hips snapped forward harder when Keith scratched him. 

“Fuck, that's good.” Shiro’s thrusts became erratic and he got louder as he felt heat building low in his stomach. He kissed Keith sloppily and reached between them to jerk Keith off.

Keith continued to scratch at Shiro’s back. As Shiro started to pump his cock, he couldn't help but thrust up into his hand. Keith felt himself getting hotter and hotter as Shiro thrust into him. 

Shiro wanted Keith to finish first. He shifted to adjust his angle and focused on his hand around Keith’s cock. His grip became more firm and he pumped him with quick strokes. 

“That's it, baby, cum for me,” Shiro groaned against Keith’s lips.

Keith arched his back as he felt his climax coming. Shiro’s simple words were driving him crazy as he jerked him off. He ran his nails down Shiro’s back again as he moaned louder and louder. “Shit, Shiro, keep going. I’m almost there, fuck.”

“Me too,” Shiro gasped. The bedsprings creaked and the headboard rattled in a way that would have made Shiro feel pity on Keith’s neighbors if he wasn't high as a kite and moments away from orgasm. He kissed Keith, muffling both of their moans as Shiro pounded him into the mattress.

Keith sloppily kissed back, his arms wrapping tight around Shiro’s shoulders as he reached his orgasm. He pulled back from Shiro’s lips to bury his head in the pillows and moan as loud as he could. Keith could feel his body shudder harder than ever while Shiro continued to thrust into him.

Shiro finished as Keith shook underneath him. His legs gave out and he slumped forward so they were lying chest to chest. Shiro shifted to pull out, but he continued to lie on top of Keith, not caring about the mess between them. 

“Holy shit,” he gasped into Keith’s ear as he interlocked their fingers.

Keith breathed heavily as their fingers laced together. He squeezed Shiro’s hands as he attempted to calm down. It was a bit harder to do since he was still high, but he’d manage. Keith let his eyes close and smiled. 

“Shit, Shiro, that was _ amazing. _ ”

Shiro nodded and turned his head to kiss Keith’s neck lazily.

“I feel so close to you right now,” Shiro sighed. He wasn't sure if he would say things like that sober. Definitely not yet. But right now it felt right and he rolled with it.

“Yeah? I like it. I like it a lot…” Keith used his free hand to stroke Shiro’s hair. “And I like you a lot.” He said with an innocent giggle. He never giggles when sober.

Shiro kissed Keith on the lips softly. 

“I like you a lot too.”

Keith pressed into the kiss. 

“Good… otherwise this would’ve been pretty awkward.”

Shiro rested his forehead against Keith’s. 

“I've had a crush on you for a long time.”

Keith trailed his hand down from Shiro’s head to cup his cheek.

“I’ve had one on you for a while, too.”

Shiro hummed happily and squeezed Keith’s hand. 

“I'm glad I finally asked you out. I guess the accident made me realize that life is too short to keep waiting, y’know?”

Keith nodded at Shiro’s words. 

“Yeah, I hear that… I really missed you when you were out recovering.”

“I missed you too,” Shiro sighed. He shifted and wrinkled his nose as their chests were sticky with Keith’s cum. Shiro also realized that he forgot to take off the condom, and he rolled over onto his back with a huff. “We should clean up. We’re gross.”

As Shiro rolled off of him, Keith stuck his tongue out on disgust.

“Oh my god, my cum is on both of us, now. Fuck.” He sat up on his elbows and frowned at his body, then glanced to Shiro. “Yeah… we’re kinda gross, but you still look hot.”

Shiro looked down at the cum smeared on his chest and lamented the fact that it was starting to dry. Keith was in a similar state, and his hair was a  _ mess _ . 

“You too,” Shiro said. He sat up and started to take the condom off, but it was an awkward one-handed task and he was worried about spilling its contents on Keith’s sheets. Not that they weren't already stained, but it was the principle of the thing.

Keith stared at Shiro as he tried to take the condom off. He decided to help him a bit so nothing else would stain his sheets. He twisted it before throwing it in the small trash bin in his room. “Ugh, I don’t wanna get uuuuup.”

Shiro sighed and stood up on shaky legs.

“I'll wash your hair for you if you do,” he offered.

“Ooh.” Keith immediately sat up at that. “Deal.”

Shiro headed into Keith's bathroom and leaned against the counter, waiting for Keith to start the water for them. He didn't want to look like a fool figuring out how his shower worked. He sighed contentedly as he stepped into the warm water, rinsing the front of him off before he did anything else. After they were both relatively clean he wrapped his arms around Keith from behind and just held him, burying his face in his shoulder. 

Keith loved being in the shower. Sometimes he would just stand there for an hour and do nothing but soak in the water. As Shiro wrapped his arm around him, he placed his hand over the other man’s and closed his eyes. He pressed into his touch and hummed as the water hit their skin.

Shiro reached for the shampoo and smiled when Keith opened it for him and poured some into his outstretched hand. He massaged the soap into Keith’s scalp, smiling at his blissed out expression. 

A quiet hum filled Keith’s throat as Shiro worked the soap into his hair. In all honesty, he could fall asleep like this, but kept himself awake with a bit of effort.

“I usually hate washing my hair, but with you doing it… it’s great…” 

“Hmm… I really like having my hair played with too. And also playing with other people's hair,” Shiro said. He loved the way Keith was leaning on him. He kept the stump of his arm wrapped around Keith’s waist, glad that it didn't seem to bother Keith at all.

Keith smiled and reached back to run his fingers over Shiro’s right arm. None of it phased him, in fact, he was more intrigued than anything. 

“Do you want me to wash your hair, too?”

“Yes, please,” Shiro replied, letting go so that Keith could turn around.

After squeezing some shampoo into his hand, Keith reached up to lather it into Shiro’s hair. He scratched lightly at his scalp before pushing some of his hair back. 

“Pft, you look funny like that.”

Shiro scowled and flicked soap bubbles at Keith. 

“You should see me without the undercut. Actually, no. No one should see that.”

Keith snickered as he took some bubbles from Shiro’s hair and placed them on his nose.

“I had short hair at one point…I’ll never go back to that.”

Shiro turned his head and sneezed. 

“Really? I'd like to see that,” Shiro said as he rinsed his hair under the water. 

Keith stared at Shiro after he sneezed. 

“That was.. Cute.” At this point, everything Shiro did was cute. “But, no. No short haired Keith for you.”

Shiro pouted, but he quickly got distracted by how good the water felt and Keith’s hands on his body as they washed each other off. 

Once Keith was rinsed off, he wrapped his arms around Shiro’s waist and buried his face in his chest. He loved being this close to him.

Shiro hugged Keith back and buried his face in his hair. They embraced under the water until it started to get cold, then they stepped onto the bathroom tile shivering. Shiro handed Keith a towel and shook his hair out.

Keith too, shook his hair out like a wet dog, then dried himself off before wrapping the towel around his waist. He opened the door to go back out onto his bed and groaned. The fan was still on and it was cold. Keith carefully stepped onto the bed and turned the fan off before falling down onto the mattress.

Shiro wiped himself down and left his towel on the bathroom floor. He shivered in the air conditioning and hurried to crawl under the covers next to Keith. He curled up behind him so that Keith’s back was pressed against his chest.

Keith cuddled back into Shiro’s touch. The towel was starting to unwrap so he decided to throw it onto the floor. His floor is a bottomless pit at this point. He let his eyes close as their bodies clung together. 

“You’re cold.”

Shiro put his cold hand on his chest and hooked one leg over Keith’s hip so he could stick his foot against Keith’s calf. 

“Mhm, and you're warm.”

Keith shivered at the touch, but he’d get over it soon enough. 

“God, you’re literally an ice box…What is up with you?”  He said with a quiet laugh.

Shiro hummed and snuggled closer, trailing kisses along Keith’s shoulder. He shifted to stick his right arm under the pillows instead of having it jammed between them awkwardly. For a while, the only sound was their quiet breathing.

“Y’know… I could go again,” Shiro said after a beat.

Keith was getting comfortable in their position as he tried to relax. His fingers aimlessly trailed over Shiro’s arm, but he stopped once he heard him speak. At that, he smirked and rolled his hips back. 

“You could?”

Shiro assumed Keith could feel that he was half-hard against the back of his leg. 

“Yeah, if you want,” Shiro said, kissing the back of Keith’s neck. “You mentioned it last time.”

“I think I could go for a second round.” He said as he gave Shiro more room to kiss his neck. 

Shiro’s kisses became more open-mouthed and he left marks along Keith’s shoulders. He reached for the bottle of lube and Keith helped him slick up his fingers. His fingers brushed against Keith’s entrance and teased him before one slipped inside easily. 

As Shiro slipped his finger inside of him, Keith’s breath hitched. His legs squeezed together and his hips rocked back.

“Bite down on my shoulder like you did last time,” Keith hummed as he closed his eyes.

Shiro chuckled at the request, but he obeyed and sank his teeth into Keith’s shoulder as he fingered him open. It didn't take long since not much time had passed since their first round.

Keith groaned as Shiro’s teeth pierced his skin. That was almost as good as sex itself. His hips continued to rock back against Shiro’s hand, while his own gripped onto the pillow under his head.

Shiro barely had to move because Keith was doing most of the work and impaling himself on Shiro’s fingers. He curled his fingers and rubbed against Keith’s prostate. 

Keith moaned into the pillow, then reached his hand back to rub at Shiro’s side.

“God, please fuck me. Please, Shiro.”

Shiro pulled his fingers out and his cock brushed against Keith’s ass. 

“Could you help me again?”

Keith groaned as he reached over to grab another condom. 

“Ugh, I hate that we have to use these things.” It was tedious, and he was impatient. He turned around to take Shiro’s cock in his hand, pumped it a bit, then tore the wrapper open. Then, he put the condom on as quick as he could, then turned back around. “There.”

Shiro smirked at Keith’s impatience.

“We can talk about it when we’re sober,” he said as he lined himself up and slid inside in one motion. Shiro groaned softly and buried his face between Keith’s shoulder blades before he started to move. This position-- lying on their sides with Keith's legs closed-- made everything so tight. He grabbed at Keith’s chest to pull him closer and moved at a lazy pace.

Keith moaned as Shiro started to move his hips. He didn’t mind that his lover was being lazy, in all honesty, he just wanted to feel Shiro inside of him again.

“Hah...God, it hadn’t even been that long since we finished and I just needed you back in me again.” His hand slowly crept down to brush against his cock, but didn’t jerk himself just yet.

“Yeah, you feel so good, fuck…”

Shiro grabbed Keith’s hand and interlaced their fingers. Keith was lying on his right arm and it would probably fall asleep like this, but Shiro didn't give a damn. He kept up the gentle thrusting and left more marks on Keith’s back.

Keith pouted as Shiro held his hand, but he couldn’t be too mad. He had another hand. Shiro must have forgotten that. Keith decided not to touch himself, but rather roll his hips back into Shiro’s. 

“You know, I have another hand to use…”

Shiro huffed and squeezed Keith’s fingers tighter.

“Don't,” Shiro said, shifting so he could thrust in deeper. “I wanna take care of you.”

Once Shiro thrust deeper, he finally hit that spot that drove Keith insane. He let out a long, drawn out moan as he moved along with his partner’s thrusts.

“God, please.” Keith was in such a blissful state that he could feel himself letting loose. “Mmn…  _ Daddy _ …”

Shiro laughed at the title, but he didn't bring it up or stop moving. He could tell from Keith’s reaction that he was doing something right, so he just rolled with it, his lips never leaving Keith’s skin.

Keith brought their hands closer to his face, then pressed his lips to the back of Shiro’s knuckles. He desperately wanted to touch himself, but he was more than okay with Shiro doing what he pleased with him. It was so intimate and close… He loved it.

“Just like that...I love how you feel inside of me, Shiro.”

Shiro hummed against Keith’s neck. 

“You feel amazing, so nice and tight for me…” Shiro turned his head to kiss his cheek.

Keith practically purred at Shiro’s words and kisses. His head leaned back a little as he stopped moving his hips, and instead let Shiro take over to do whatever he wanted to him. Keith laughed nervously as he looked up at the ceiling.

“I think I like this a lot more than being rough…. Emphasis on think.”

“Hmm, that's too bad. I liked it when you pounded me,” Shiro said as he nibbled on Keith’s ear.

“See, that’s why I said think. I’m never gonna get over being rough but… I like this too.” He said as he moaned softly. “I really… really wanna keep you around..”

Shiro’s thrusts became more erratic, and he let go of Keith’s hand to grab onto his hip. 

“I feel so connected to you right now.” Shiro giggled at his own joke and his head fell back onto the younger’s shoulder.

Keith snorted as he buried his head in the pillow. 

“I can’t believe you said that…” He was still moaning louder and louder, though. Shiro was driving him insane. “Yeah, we’re definitely-- hah... Connected right now.”

Shiro reached down to lift Keith’s leg up, his hand under Keith’s knee. He thrust harder as he chased his orgasm. 

“Baby, I'm close,” Shiro gasped.

“Oh fuck-” Keith gasped as Shiro thrust deeper inside of him. He reached down to grasp his cock and jerked himself quickly. “C’mon, harder, please…I’m getting there.”

Shiro suddenly pulled out and flipped over onto his back. 

“Ride me,” Shiro said.

Keith whined at the sudden emptiness, but he was pleasantly surprised at his request. He smirked as he climbed onto Shiro’s lap and slid his cock into him. 

“Mmm, this was a good idea..” After steadying himself, he started to bounce up and down on his lap.

Shiro closed his eyes and his head fell back as Keith started moving. He reached up to dig his fingers into Keith’s hip, and he bit his lip to muffle his moans.

The moment Keith felt Shiro’s nails dig into his hip, he threw his head back and moaned. His hands reached forward to grab onto the headboard to give himself some leverage as he rode Shiro. His neighbors were going to hate him.

Shiro bent his knees slightly so he could thrust up into Keith. He wasn't going to last long at this rate, and he was becoming more vocal as Keith made the headboard hit the wall.

“Fuck, Shiro, I’m cumming!” Keith’s body started to tense up as he rode out his orgasm. He gripped hard onto the headboard, and he released onto Shiro’s chest and face without meaning to.

Shiro came when Keith tensed up around him. He groaned Keith’s name and kept his eyes shut as he felt Keith’s release landing on his face. He laughed and licked his lips.

Once Keith came down from his orgasm, he let Shiro slip out of him, then leaned forward to cup his face and lick the cum off of his skin. 

“Mmm, heheheh…”

Shiro giggled and squirmed in Keith’s grip. 

“Ugh, gross!” Shiro’s hand came up between them to rest on Keith’s chest, but he didn't shove him away.

Keith swallowed his cum and pulled back with a laugh.

“What, you’ve never tasted your own cum before?”

“I have, but I can't say I've ever licked it off someone’s face,” Shiro laughed as he pulled Keith back down to kiss him.

Keith smiled as he kissed Shiro. He immediately deepened it, letting his tongue trail over his lower lip. All he wanted to do with kiss and cuddle with Shiro for the rest of the night. 

Shiro ran his fingers through the soft hair at the back of Keith’s neck. He opened his mouth for Keith and hummed into the kiss. Eventually he pulled away and looked down at their bodies. “Damn, we made a mess again,” he laughed.

Keith laughed along with Shiro as he shook his head.

“I don’t feel like showering again.. I’m just gonna wet a paper towel and clean myself off.” He said as he sat up. Keith carefully pulled the condom off of Shiro’s dick, twisted it, then threw it away.

“Thanks, babe,” Shiro sighed. He got up and headed to the bathroom to wipe himself down.

After getting cleaned up, Keith clung to Shiro’s back as they walked back into the bedroom. He felt clingy, cuddly, and tired.

Shiro leaned into the touch, and he held Keith’s arm that was wrapped around his waist. He flopped down on the bed face-first and took Keith with him, giggling on the way down. 

Keith laughed as they fell down onto the bed. He nuzzled his face into his back and gently rubbed his sides. 

“You’re comfy, Shiro.”

“You're kinda bony,” Shiro teased, resting his head on his folded arms. 

“I was really bony a second ago with your dick in my ass.” Keith said with a snicker.

Shiro laughed until he cried at the corny joke. He wiped at the tears on his cheeks and turned his head to look back at Keith.

“You… I like you.”

Keith laughed along with him. His own joke was funnier than it should have been, in all honesty. When Shiro turned around, he smiled softly.

“Yeah? I like you, too.”   


“Can I turn over? I want to kiss you,” Shiro said, his gaze soft as he looked up at Keith. 

“No, you can’t.” Keith jokingly said as he let Shiro turn over. He was now straddling his lap and leaning forward to press their lips together.

Shiro ran his fingers up and down Keith’s spine as they made out. He leaned back on his other arm and moaned into the kiss. 

“We’re not going again,” Shiro said as he pressed their foreheads together while they caught their breath.

Keith smiled into the kiss as his hands gently cupped Shiro’s face. When he pulled away, he almost whined until he heard what Shiro said. 

“Oh, god, no. You’re the one that just fucking moaned, though.”

“I can't help it! You're a good kisser,” Shiro laughed and kissed Keith again. He lied back on the pillows and pulled Keith down with him.  “You tired me out.” 

“I am? You’re not so bad yourself~” He said with a teasing smile.  Keith wiggled in Shiro’s grasp… he’s cold. “We need to move.”

The two of them crawled under the covers and went back to cuddling. Shiro looked at the stuffed animal in the corner, then back to Keith. 

“Can Patricia sleep with us?”

Keith groaned but complied with Shiro’s request. Eventually, they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms with Patricia lying on top of them. 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Sometimes Keith couldn’t stay asleep during the night. He’d wake up two or three times, get up, get something to drink, then go back to bed. This was the second time Keith woke up, but this time he didn't try to go back to sleep. He heard mumbles from Shiro, but didn't dismiss it as sleep talking. Keith noticed that he was breathing far too fast to be calmly sleeping. Shiro’s eyes moved rapidly beneath their lids and his limbs twitched.

That worried him. Keith gently removed the plush that laid atop them, then shifted so he was facing Shiro. He quite honestly didn't know what to do about him, but didn't want him to keep sleeping like that if he was having a bad dream. Gently, Keith reached out to shake Shiro’s shoulder. That may not have been the right thing to do, but it was what came to mind. 

“Shiro?” Keith whispered with a worried tone in his voice. “Shiro, wake up…”

Shiro flinched at the touch and his eyes flew open, but he wasn't all there yet. He blinked quickly and looked around the room, unsure of where he was. He sat up and hugged his knees to his chest and fought to control his breathing. His whole body shook and his eyes burned, but he was trying so hard not to cry. He already felt vulnerable enough. When Shiro shot up, Keith jumped back. He didn't expect him to react so quickly. He too, sat up, but kept his distance from Shiro. Keith didn't understand what was happening, but he did know that he was panicking.

“Shiro…? What's wrong?”

Shiro swallowed hard past the lump in his throat.

“Uh… Bad dream. I'm okay.” He finally looked at Keith instead of through him. “Sorry I woke you up.”

Keith scooted closer to Shiro.

“That… seemed more than just a bad dream.” He hesitantly reached out to rub at his back, making sure to be gentle as he did so. “I was already awake, though. Are you sure you're okay?”

Shiro leaned into the touch with a sigh. He got his breathing under control (by counting to ten, going to his happy place, and all that bullshit his therapist taught him), but he still couldn't stop shaking.

“I should've warned you,” Shiro said. “I’ve had bad dreams since the accident.”

“It's okay… do you um, want a hug?” He really needed to figure out how to handle Shiro when he got like this, but now probably wasn't the best time to ask him a bunch of questions.

Shiro nodded and clung to Keith’s shoulder when he wrapped his arms around him. He exhaled shakily and buried his face into Keith’s neck.

“Sorry…”

Keith held Shiro tight and closed his eyes as he rubbed his back.

“It's okay. Just breathe. It'll be okay.”

Eventually, Shiro’s breathing evened out and he stopped shaking.

“Thanks,” Shiro said, pulling back to look at Keith. “Sorry, again. Let's go back to sleep.” Shiro’s eyes were drooping with exhaustion, but he wasn't sure if he could fall asleep again tonight. He wasn't going to keep Keith awake though.

Keith reached out to caress Shiro’s cheek for a moment before pressing a soft kiss to it.

“Okay.” As they laid back down, Keith faced Shiro this time with his arms wrapped around his frame. It’d probably take him a while to get back to sleep.

Shiro was still freaked out from the nightmare, but he felt safe in Keith’s arms. He went back to sleep despite all odds as he listened to Keith’s deep breathing. It took Keith longer to fall asleep, but once he did, he stayed that way until morning.

When he woke up, he was clinging to Shiro’s body. He slowly pulled away from him, then sat up. Keith pulled his knees up to his chest and sighed as he collected his thoughts. Eventually, he glanced over at Shiro, who was still sleeping. A lot happened the night before, but he was happy with the turnout.

Shiro stirred and nuzzled into the pillow before he opened his eyes. He blinked up at Keith.

“Morning.” His jaw popped as he yawned and stretched his arms out in front of him.

Keith smiled softly as Shiro woke up.

“Morning.” God, he was still naked and very, very cold. “How do you feel after last night?” He stretched his arms over his head, arched his back a little, but then stopped as he felt a sharp, aching pain. It went from his lower back to his ass, and honestly, he didn't appreciate it.

Shiro sat up, rolled his shoulders, and winced.

“I'm a little sore, you really went to town on my back,” Shiro said as he looked at the bruises on Keith’s neck and collarbones. “I think I got you back though, huh?”

“Uh, _fuck yeah,_ you did. I'm afraid to get up at this point.” He leaned forward on his knees, then rested his forehead on them. “Nnn, fuck, I'm hungry and don't wanna move.”

Shiro laughed and leaned forward to massage Keith’s shoulder.

“Hmm… I'd offer to make you breakfast in bed, but… you know how great I am at cooking.”

“No, don't do that.” He said with a laugh. Keith looked at the bedroom door and sighed. “I want my leftovers. I don't feel like making anything.”

Shiro’s mouth watered at the thought of his rice waiting for him in the fridge.

“I can definitely heat up leftovers for you… But eating Chinese in bed seems like a bad plan.”

“You haven't truly seen the way I live, then. I eat in bed a lot.” Keith said as he attempted to roll off of the bed. Next thing he knew, he was on the floor groaning on top of their clothes. This was awful. “I'm just gonna die on the floor, I guess.”

Shiro chuckled and leaned over the side of the bed to look at Keith.

“Was I really that rough?” he asked teasingly, offering Keith a hand up.

Keith took Shiro’s hand, stood up, then walked to the other side of the bed. He was looking for a big T-shirt to put on, but he tripped over something and smacked his head against the dresser. When he looked down, he saw Shiro’s prosthetic on the floor. He picked it up and pointed it at Shiro.

“Your mother fucking god damn arm almost killed me. I almost died twice, and I haven't even been awake for ten minutes.” Keith couldn't help but snort as he spoke. He was trying to be serious.

“Careful, you might've hurt my arm,” Shiro joked back. “The damn thing was expensive.”

“Fuck your arm.” He said as he placed it in front of Shiro. Keith rolled his eyes, finally grabbed a shirt that barely covered his ass, then awkwardly walked over to the door. “Uh. I dunno if you can fit anything but go wild.”

Shiro followed Keith into the living room.

“I brought my bag inside,” he said as he knelt down beside it and fished out a shirt and a pair of boxers. He dressed himself then dug around in the bag for his pills. 

Keith opened the fridge, grabbed both of their boxes, then popped a random one into the microwave. He then hoisted himself up onto the counter and swung his legs.

“I don't even remember you bringing that in here.”

“The intention was to like, brush my teeth and maybe wear something to bed, but… none of that happened,” Shiro said. He shook one of the pills into his hand and went into the kitchen to look for a cup.

As Shiro shook the pill bottle, Keith’s attention was drawn to it- the noise was all too familiar to him. He found himself staring at it for a moment before zoning in on that particular area. Keith didn't respond to Shiro at all. Instead, he focused on the bottle and moved his attention to wherever it went. His lips parted as he sucked in a breath, then his heel kicked one of the lower cabinets.

Shiro didn't notice Keith’s episode. He washed his medicine down with water and glanced back at the cabinets when Keith kicked it. Then the microwave beeped.

“You put the box in the microwave?”

Keith didn’t hear Shiro’s question at all. It took another aimless kick to the cabinet to get him back on his train of thought. The hum of the microwave buzzed in his ears as he looked toward it to see how much longer he had. He then looked at Shiro. 

“What?”

Shiro grabbed a potholder and winced as he removed the smoking plastic container with one hand, nearly dropping it because it was so hot.

“You're not supposed to put these in there,” Shiro laughed.

“Oh- fuck.” Keith groaned as he hopped off of the counter then grabbed a plate. “I guess I'm not thinking this morning.”

“It should be fine, probably.” Shiro helped Keith dump the box’s contents onto the plate. Shiro got out another plate and did the same with the cold leftovers, then he sprinkled some water on the noodles and put it in the microwave.

Keith grabbed two forks and sat them on the counter. He breathed in and tapped one of them on the counter. He doesn't feel right. The tapping grew rapidly before he poked into the food onto the plate to stop himself.

Shiro watched Keith and tilted his head.

“Are you okay? You seem… nervous.”

After taking in a breath, Keith stirred the food absently. He wanted to collect his scattered thoughts, but it was hard at the moment. Whatever Shiro was saying was going in through one ear and out the other.

The microwave went off, and Keith didn't react. Shiro got Keith’s food out and set it down on the other placemat.

“Um, we can trade if you want?” Shiro said as he sat down on the barstool across from Keith.

Keith looked over at Shiro before sliding his plate over to him. He sat on the barstool and reached for his food. His eyes landed on Shiro’s for a moment, then he spoke.

“You _have_ to do that every morning?”

Shiro’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Do what?” he asked.

“The...pills.” Keith said quietly. His words sounded harsher than he intended.

“Oh… Yeah, I do have to take them every day,” Shiro said, not following where Keith was going with this.

“I can't watch you do that. Or hear it. You can't do it around me,” Keith said quickly.

Shiro nodded, but he was still confused 

“Okay. Uh, thanks for telling me. I'm sorry if doing that bothered you just now.”

“...Yeah.” Keith cleared his throat as he took a small bite of his food. He wasn't as hungry as he was when he woke up, but he needed food. “It um. Yeah, it seriously bothers me. Pills do.”

“I'm sorry, Keith. I won't take them around you again.” Shiro picked at his food. He felt guilty as hell even though he knew it wasn't his fault for not knowing. He was curious as to why pills triggered Keith, but he knew better than to ask when he was already upset.

“Thanks.” Keith said quietly. He started to eat his food slowly as he attempted to calm himself down. As they both ate in awkward silence, Keith suddenly got up and went back to his room to grab his phone. He came back, sat down, then set it on the table. It had been about ten minutes since his episode, and he felt okay to talk a little more. “I'm sorry. Uh. I don't know how to talk about what just happened.”

“It's alright. Triggers don't necessarily make sense, you know? Also, you don't have to tell me shit if you don't want to.”

Keith felt his stomach twist a little.

“I mean, mine makes a lot of sense if I told you why.” He sucked in a breath as he frowned at Shiro. “If we're gonna… be a _thing_ , then I feel like I have to tell you."

Shiro set his fork down.

“You don't have to tell me right now, but I'm listening if you want to talk about it.”

Keith sat his fork down and looked at him with a straight. face.

 “I almost died when I was thirteen.”

Shiro frowned and waited for Keith to continue his story. He really didn't want to continue, but Shiro didn't respond.

“I tried to kill myself.” Keith said bluntly.

“Oh, Keith…” Shiro didn't know what to say. He wanted to hug him.

“Yeah.” Keith cleared his throat as his hand curled into a tight fist. He was tense. “I'm sorry for bringing that up, I know it's heavy. I don't even remember most of it.”

“It's okay, I'm glad you told me… Can I hug you?”

Keith nodded as he looked down at his lap. Shiro stood up and went over to wrap his arms around Keith. 

“I can… sort of relate.”

Keith embraced Shiro tight as he rested his head on his shoulder.

“Yeah? It… sucks.”

“Yeah, I've been depressed since I was a teenager. It comes and goes, but… it got really bad after the accident. This is the first time I've actually gotten help for it,” Shiro said with a nervous laugh.

“Fuck depression.” Keith said as he laughed dryly. “I used to go to therapy and stuff for my… issues. I stopped a few years ago, though.”

“It's kind of nice to have someone to vent to. Except for when she keeps asking about my childhood, and then she can fuck right off,” Shiro laughed.

Keith snorted at that. 

“My therapist insisted that I kept talking about my family life, but everything was fine? I mean. With my adopted parents everything was fine. I was literally only fucked up because I watched my birth parents die.”

Shiro inhaled sharply and held Keith tighter.

“God, that's awful. I'm sorry you went through that.”

“It's fine. I'm okay.” Keith wasn't okay, but he liked to tell himself that. He wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck instead of his torso, now. “I probably shouldn't have said that so casually…”

Shiro doubted that Keith was okay, but he wasn't going to call him out on that.

“Maybe,” Shiro said. “Can I ask when that happened?”

“I was nine when it happened, so about twelve years ago.” Keith said as he traced circles onto Shiro’s back.

Shiro ran his fingers through Keith’s hair.

“That sucks… I'm sorry.” 

“It's okay, really.” Keith smiled into Shiro’s shoulder. “I'm glad you're here and letting me talk and stuff. But, are you okay? I mean, from last night. I wanna know what to do if that happens again.”

“Oh, that happens a lot. Um, what you did was good. Being talked to helped. Definitely ask before you touch me. Uh… yeah.”

Keith nodded at that.

“Okay, got it.” He pulled back and looked at Shiro as his lips curved into a softer smile. “Now we know how to help each other, right?”

“It's a start,” Shiro said as he returned the smile. “I think you noticed it already, but I get really freaked out in cars. It's awful near where the accident was, and I can't drive because of my anxiety.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” Keith leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I can like, hold your hand or something if you get nervous.”

“Yeah, that helps,” Shiro said. “Is there anything else I can do to help you?”

“Uh, I dissociate sometimes, and I can't control it... So it could happen at literally any time. You’d just have to either give me a second or just shake my shoulder.” Keith said with a sigh. He hated that he had to deal with it, but that's how his life was.

“Okay,” Shiro said as he rubbed Keith’s back in little circles. “So it makes you space out?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Keith sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. “It's kind of scary, honestly.”

Shiro rested his chin on top of Keith’s head with a sigh.

 “It sounds like it. I have flashbacks sometimes. It's not really the same thing, but… Losing track of where I'm at _sucks_.”

“That sounds awful.” Keith stayed quiet for a few moments as they held each other. “... I'm still hungry, can we hug later?”

Shiro laughed and pulled away. 

“We probably need to heat everything up again.” He frowned as he poked at his rice, which was now cold.

Keith didn't even care at this point.

“Eh, you can heat yours up. I don't mind my food being...lukewarm.” He said with a snort.

“I either eat leftovers cold or piping hot, there's no in between,” Shiro said as he stuck his plate in the microwave and leaned against the counter.

“Sometimes my dad puts food in the microwave directly after it's been cooked.” Keith said as he slurped some noodles.

Shiro laughed and opened Keith’s fridge to look for hot sauce while he waited on his food. Maybe he put it in there for too long, he was really bad at judging those things. 

Keith looked back at the microwave as the food sizzled and popped.

“You should probably take your food out now, Shiro.”

Shiro fumbled the bottle of sriracha and set it on the counter as he got the steaming plate of food out of the microwave, swearing as the hot plate burned his bare hand. He took the hot sauce over to the counter and sat down next to Keith. He poured a bunch of the red sauce on his food and mixed it into his rice, which was now way too hot to eat.

“I'm a mess,” Shiro sighed.

Keith could only watch Shiro struggle at this point. He gave him a look and reached over to pat his arm.

“It's okay, I think we're both messes. I literally tripped over your prosthetic after rolling off of the bed.” 

Shiro laughed with a mouth full of rice and almost choked.

“Yeah, that must've been al _arm_ ing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back, folks! Gonna have more chapters rolling out soon, as well! Thanks for keeping up, and sorry for the delay!


End file.
